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Heritage of Hope

A History of First Baptist Church

Wilmington, North Carolina

1808-2008

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3 0399 2395567

A Heritage of Hope

A History of

First Baptist Church

Wilmington, North Carolina

1808-2008

Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2013

http://archive.org/details/heritageofhopehiOOever

A Heritage of Hope

A History of

First Baptist Church

Wilmington, North Carolina

1808-2008

James E. Everette, III

Baptist History and Heritage Society
Atlanta, Georgia

Fields Publishing, Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee

Copyright ©2008
by First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina
All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the copy-
right owner to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief
quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number 2008935979
ISBN: 978-1-57843-053-6

published by

IBAPTIST

HISTORY & HERITAGE SOCIETY

Baptist History and Heritage Society

3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30341

e-mail: pamdurso@baptisthistory.org

770-457-5540

and

FIELDS

PUBLISHING

Fields Publishing Inc.
8120 Sawyer Brown Road, Suite 108 • Nashville, Tennessee 37221

615-662-1344
e-mail: tfields@fieldspublishing.com

5 Z.Smith Reynolds Library

Wake Forest University

Contents

Introduction 9

Chapter One:

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings 21

Chapter Two:

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration 57

Chapter Three:

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I 86

Photos 115

Chapter Four:

A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension 124

Chapter Five:

A Heritage of Hope into a New Millenium 166

Epilogue 210

Appendices 211

Sources 234

Endnotes 239

Index 250

Introduction

Q^D

In Places of Worship: Exploring Their Future, Dr. James Wind writes, "The
congregational historian's tasks are to ferret out all the plotlines con-
tained within the life of a particular congregation, to select the important
ones, and then to connect these filaments of story with those that stretch
beyond it into the familial, denominational, social and religious histories."1
This will be the intent of this historian as he embarks on the journey of ex-
ploring the facts and legends of the earliest Baptists in Wilmington, North
Carolina, who eventually became known as The First Baptist Church and
have continued to exist in the Cape Fear region for the past 200 years. The
goal for this endeavor is to assist the current congregation in grasping a
better understanding of its formative roots and discovering a truer and
clearer sense of its identity. Emory University professor Dr. James F.
Hopewell defined identity as "...the persistent set of beliefs, values, pat-
terns, symbols, stories, and style that makes a congregation distinctive."2
Questions to be answered include, "Who were these earliest Baptists? From
where did they come? What were their guiding influences? How have they
influenced the Wilmington area? What difference has First Baptist Church
made in the world?

Recognizing that chronology is the backbone of any historical blue-
print, a timeline will be used as the plumb line by which to organize the
story of First Baptist Church. Stories of the events surrounding Wilming-
ton that effected the congregation will be interspersed. *

Often a congregation's character can be given decisive shape in mo-
ments of crisis. That shape may endure for generations. Such critical inci-
dents often clarify character as they manifest central values and conflicts.
First Baptist Church has not been immune to such challenges. Therefore,
stories of struggle and survival for the church and its community will play
an important part in this writing. Because a portion of this story will in-
clude the recollections of people, some of the events of First Baptist will be

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

expressed in language of probability rather than absolute certainty. First
Baptist has almost one hundred members who have been a part of its cur-
rent congregation for more than fifty years. They are an important part of
these Baptists with a heritage of hope.

The Gothic-style sanctuary of First Baptist Church, standing at the cor-
ner of Market Street and Fifth Avenue, was built in the 1860s and quietly
proclaims a part of the congregation's self-understanding. It is an indica-
tion of what the members and early First Baptist leaders valued regarding
matters of community status and refinement. For too long, Baptists in the
Cape Fear region were considered poor, uneducated, weak, and a people
with little influence. The way this building fits into the landscape of Wilm-
ington is indicative that this body of believers wanted to send the message
that they were a congregation whose dependence was on a God who was far
greater than their human accomplishments. They saw themselves as a
church with a bright hope for being the conduit by which God would act
to make a positive difference in the world. Their perseverance in the midst
of struggle is a testimony to their confidence in the Apostle Paul's message
that, "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."

Theoretical Stance

In the spring of 1999, First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Car-
olina embarked on what many members of the congregation, including
the entire ministerial staff, thought was the most ambitious capital cam-
paign in the history of the church. The theme of the campaign was ''Her-
itage and Hope," and the financial goal the congregation was challenged to
pledge was $1.75 million. The money would be used to erase the debt and
to cover the expected renovation expense on a recently purchased building
(original home of John A. Taylor that became the armory of the Wilming-
ton Light Infantry before being renovated as the offices of the church) be-
side the existing sanctuary, to build a new building that would connect
these two buildings, to renovate the existing education space, and to pay for
several smaller projects. This money would be given over the following
three years. Several meetings were held in order for members to become
informed of the reasons for expanding and updating the facilities of the
church. Each meeting contained a segment in which stories of the church's
history were shared in order to remind members of their ecclesiastical roots
and to challenge them to continue the tradition of offering hope for those
who would follow. At the conclusion of every meeting, financial commit-
ment cards were distributed to those in attendance. Each family in the

Introduction

church received a commitment card to indicate the amount of money they
intended to contribute to the campaign. When the cards were collected,
the congregation of First Baptist Church had pledged $2.3 million and
eventually gave in excess of $3 million.

Campaign advisors were amazed by the generosity of the congregation
and the number of families who participated. They were surprised that First
Baptist Church was able to raise so much money without receiving several
large gifts. The campaign advisor commented that in all the campaigns he
had directed, he had never seen a congregation exceed its goal like First
Baptist.

When one hears the stories of First Baptist Church, it is evident that
"Heritage and Hope" is more than just a campaign slogan. Like the early
Hebrew people who drew strength from the reminder that the God they
worshipped and depended upon for life was the same One who was the "God
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," this newest generation of Wilmingtonians
who call First Baptist Church their spiritual home tell stories, myths and
legends of matriarchs and patriarchs who made decisions and sacrifices
that shaped the church into what it is today. Important questions that must
be asked are, "Are the stories true?" "Are all the facts of the stories told?"
"What are the stories that are not told?" "Why aren't some stories told?"

Certainly, First Baptist Church has a colorful, rich heritage filled with
grand stories of great people who have helped to mold Baptist life in the
Cape Fear region and across the state of North Carolina. However, the only
written histories that exist are historical sketches that have been penned on
the occasion of special anniversaries. A concise historical sketch was
penned in 1933, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary. Additional infor-
mation was added in 1958 and again in 1983, as the church celebrated its
150th and 175th anniversaries. Therefore, believing that history is vital to
identity, interpretations of historical facts is what is usually written and
told when reflecting on the past; the entire story cannot be told. The ma-
jority of history is written from the bias of the writer so there are times
when certain events get more attention than others. Still, a concise, writ-
ten history of First Baptist Church does not exist and should therefore be
written as the church begins its third century.

It is important that a written history exist for those who have heard sto-
ries, but who do not know surrounding facts. Another benefit of knowing
from whence we have come is that we can celebrate past accomplishments
and learn from previous shortcomings so similar mistakes will not be re-
peated. Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. By record-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

ing the history, perhaps members of First Baptist Church will be better
able to tell God's story so others will be moved to make a commitment to
the God who has sustained a Baptist church in Wilmington, North Car-
olina for two hundred years.

History cannot be strictly scientific, or strictly narrative. It is imperative
that facts be separated from the bias of the recorder of the facts. The majority
of information being researched will come from the minutes of church
meetings. Therefore, it may be difficult to distinguish between what actu-
ally happened, or was said, and what the recorder wished had happened, or
recorded. The narrator's voice will be heard by those who read this writing.

Several historians may study the same event but have differing conclu-
sions because they look at the event through a lens of different questions.
One may desire to paint the history of First Baptist Church as a masterpiece
of the perfect "bride of Christ," but he must be honest with himself and his
readers to tell the truth, even when it may expose blemishes. "Good histo-
rians do not preselect the evidence according to their point of view."3 In
the words of E.H. Carr, "History is an unending dialogue between the pres-
ent and the past."4 This has been the case when researching the history of
First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Carolina. They are a people who
have found strength in the "cloud of witnesses" who have provided broad
shoulders on which those who have followed have been able to stand. It is
the responsibility of this group of Baptists to continue sharing the endless
message of hope that has shaped them into who they are today.

Context

As the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean, 30 miles north of the mouth
of the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina, Wilmington Histo-
rian Bob Jenkins introduces himself to yet another group of tourists who
desire to discover some of the history of downtown Wilmington. Bob knows
more about local history' than most residents in town and enjoys sharing
stories of days gone by with those who join him on one of his walking tours.
One of his favorite stops on the tour stands at the corner of Fifth Avenue
and Market Street, only five blocks east of the river.

The First Baptist Church is easy to spot as the tour group leaves the
banks of the Cape Fear and heads up the hill of Market Street — the age-old
street that has divided the north and south sides of Wilmington since its
settling in 1733. Designed by Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan, the
sanctuary of Wilmington's First Baptist Church was modeled after Freder-
icksburg Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Introduction

An example of early English Gothic architecture, First Baptist Church
is characterized by pointed arches around its exterior doors and windows,
and narrow slate-covered spires on either side of the front of the building.
The taller spire, which points to the heavens at the corner of Fifth and Mar-
ket streets rises 197 feet above the ground. Except for an eighteen-month
period of reconstruction after the 135-mile-per-hour winds of Hurricane
Fran blasted Wilmington in 1996, causing the steeple to crash down upon
Market Street, it has been the tallest point in Wilmington since it was
erected in 1860. This building has served as only the second home of Wilm-
ington's earliest Baptist work, which began in 1808.

As tourists strain their necks staring up at the tall spire swaying in the
coastal breezes that are common to the port city, Mr. Jenkins tells them of
a man named John Lamb Prichard who served as pastor of First Baptist
from 1856 until his untimely death in 1862. Dr. Prichard led Wilmington's
first Baptist congregation to build the beautiful sanctuary and to relocate
from the original, outgrown Baptist House of Worship that still sits on Bap-
tist Hill at the corner of Front and Ann Streets, only six blocks from where
First Baptist worships today.

Dr. Prichard supervised the early construction stages of the sanctuary,
but did not live to see it completed, because he died from yellow fever after
a blockade runner brought the fever to the port of Wilmington in August
of 1862. Since that time, members of First Baptist Church have considered
Dr. John Lamb Prichard to be their most famous pastor and martyr.

Once inside the historic sanctuary that today seats approximately 650
people, visitors begin to remark on its beauty. The deep burgundy carpet ac-
cents the cherry-stained heart pine wood that panels the interior of the
building. The walls, the pews, the hand-carved grill work on the front of the
balcony that forms a horseshoe around the sanctuary, the baptistery, choir
loft and pulpit, the arches above the windows and the pulpit, the pulpit fur-
nishings and the communion table, and even the arched ceiling that
reaches a pinnacle of fifty feet above the floor are made of cherry-stained
heart pine wood that was floated down the Cape Fear River from south-
eastern North Carolina. The curly pine pews located on the main floor of
the sanctuary are beautifully hand-carved and have high backs and Gothic
panels on the ends. The pews contain dividers that allow for only three peo-
ple to sit in some sections and as many as eight to sit in others. Each pew
is numbered. This is because rental of the pews financed the early church.
Fees ranged from $10 to $500 annually and were based on the location
and size of the pew. The renter had exclusive use of the pew for worship

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

services, prayer meetings, business meetings and revival meetings.

The pews in the balcony are extremely rustic. These pews sit lower than
normal and have short backs and bottoms. Interestingly enough, they are
the preferred seats of most who worship at First Baptist today, all of whom
are Caucasian. Legend has it that these pews were originally designated for
African-Americans who worshipped at First Baptist at the time of the ded-
ication of the sanctuary. However, it is the opinion of this writer that this
is strictly legend. Most African-American members chose to begin their
own church and left First Baptist in the mid- 1860s. These African-Ameri-
cans constructed their sanctuary at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Camp-
bell Street, five blocks north of Market Street, shortly after the Civil War
ended. This congregation calls itself, "First Baptist Missionary Church." It
was the first of eleven churches that were started by First Baptist.

There are five large, arched, colored-glass windows on both the east and
west sides of the sanctuary. This writer does not think they are particularly
inviting to behold. They do not seem to match each other and do not tell a
story, and the colors of glass are not pleasing to the eye. However, the large,
lighted, circular window above the baptistery is quite captivating. The
twenty-six pie-shaped pieces of glass form a picture of Jesus lounging with
his twelve disciples at the table of their last supper together. The hues of
red, burgundy, blue, brown, cream, and gold quickly catch every visitor's
eyes as soon as the window is lighted. The beauty of this new Baptist house
of worship must have brought tears to the eyes of the 244 people (mostly
women and children) who made up the Church membership when the
sanctuary was dedicated to God on May 1, 1870.

Music has always been an important aspect of the ministry of First Bap-
tist Church. A central part of the sanctuary furnishings is the pipe organ.
Initially installed in 1890, it was one of the first in eastern North Carolina
and considered one of the finest musical instruments in the state. After a
renovation to the sanctuary in 1992, the organ was moved from the loft
above the pulpit to the choir platform area directly behind the pulpit. The
organ has four keyboards and more than 2,800 pipes ranging in size from
that of a pencil to 32 feet in length. The large pipes are visible to worship-
pers. They surround the baptistery located above the choir loft. The organ
is played during most worship services held in the sanctuary.

As Mr. Jenkins tells stories about Wilmington's earliest Baptists, some
of the visitors begin to read copies of the Order of Service from last Sun-
day's worship service and others notice copies of Kingdom News, the weekly
newsletter of First Baptist Church. Tourists notice there are two services of

Introduction

worship each Sunday morning. "The Journey" service offers a more inter-
active innovative worship experience. It is held in the sanctuary at 9:00
a.m. This service is for those who prefer contemporary praise music led by
a band of musicians rather than hymns sung to the beauty of the pipe
organ. The 11:00 a.m. service is traditional, with acolytes lighting altar can-
dles, a call to silence, chiming of the hour, spoken calls to worship, re-
sponsive readings, the Lord's prayer, singing of the Gloria Patri and
offerings of classical "high church" music accompanying the sermon. The
worship leaders wear robes and hymns are unannounced. Some people de-
scribe this worship service as "formal" while others say it is "dignified."
Most worshippers say they were warmly greeted and the hours of worship
are inspirational and meaningful for them. Members like to say that each
worship service is authentically First Baptist.

The Kingdom News lists the many ministries and activities in which
the congregation is involved in. One of the first things tourists may be sur-
prised to read is that the average weekly worship attendance is 825, an in-
crease of more than three hundred in the last ten years. This is unusual for
most historic, downtown churches, especially when considering the fact
that First Baptist only has thirty off-street parking spaces. Most of these
are reserved as "Handicapped Parking." What may be even more surprising
is that First Baptist Church has added over 125 new members each year for
the past fifteen years and had eight members enter vocational ministry dur-
ing that time. The annual budget is $2 million. The congregation has over-
given the budget each of the last twelve years while also giving more than
ten million dollars to capital expenditures. Readers also notice that First
Baptist Church gives almost 20 percent of its offerings to mission causes.

A perusal of the newsletter shows financial support and hours of mission
service is given to local agencies like the Mercy House overnight shelter, St.
James overnight shelter, Good Shepherd Ministries, Gospel Rescue Mis-
sion, Habitat for Humanity, Yahweh Center, Interfaith Hospitality Network,
Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, the Food Bank, Hospice, Domestic Violence
Shelter, the Carousel Center, feeding area street people, and the Wilming-
ton Baptist Association. First Baptist has also served as the area collection
center for Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts. In addition to these
local ministries, First Baptist has taken part in an outreach ministry to the
New Hanover County Jail. There is at least one annual church-wide mission
trip to cities within the United States and around the world. The congre-
gation has continued in the steps of its founders by performing mission
work across the street and around the world.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

While sitting in the sanctuary (from the spring of 2002 until the fall
of 2003), Mr. Jenkins' tour group would have smelled the aroma of a
hot, nutritious meal being prepared for the 180 hungry and homeless
people who ate lunch in the First Baptist fellowship hall every Monday
thru Friday. A team of volunteers gave up one morning each week and
met in the kitchen to cook and serve hot meals to "the least of these"
in the name of Christ. Some of these hungry people were invited to eat
by members of the congregation who lead Bible studies and prayer
meetings in the New Hanover County jail while others were people First
Baptist members met while serving as hosts at local overnight shelters.
Either way, the word on the street in Wilmington is that First Baptist
Church is a group of caring Christians on mission.

The Christian Education page of the Kingdom News indicates the
importance of Sunday School ministry, small group ministries for men,
women and teenagers, and the various discipleship seminars that are of-
fered on Wednesday nights during the fall and winter months. The
Youth column lists the many activities that take place during Youth
Group on Sunday evenings and the mid-week offerings for teenagers
who are interested in music, drama, small group Bible study and mis-
sion adventures. Additionally, there are retreats for in-depth spiritual
growth and mission trips for middle school, high school and college
students.

First Baptist took mission teams to Guatemala and Colorado in 2007.
A team of eighty-five teenagers and adults gave ten days of their sum-
mer providing disaster relief for residents along the Alabama and Mis-
sissippi coasts in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina came ashore in the fall
of 2005. One hundred four members reached out to people living in the
mountains of Jamaica in 2001 for a ten-day music and mission trip in
which the Youth Choir sang in area churches at night and performed
the grunt-work of building a new worship center during the day. Utah
was the destination for two teams of missionaries that spent three weeks
building a Baptist Conference Center during the summer of 2000. First
Baptist is blessed with a Youth Ministry that includes over 200
teenagers.

The Children's Corner of the Kingdom News has an invitation for
the congregation to attend an upcoming musical presented by the first-
through sixth-grade choirs, an open house for the weekday pre-school
that began in 2007, a note about a change in the schedule of the
Mother's Morning Out Ministry, a note about "Parenting in the Pew," an

Introduction

encouragement for the 4th-6th graders to participate in the Sunday af-
ternoon Bible Drill ministry, and an announcement about the sock col-
lection for the homeless that the children are leading. From the cradle
to middle school, First Baptist has a desire to see their children grow in
stature and spirit.

'The Heartbeat" (the monthly newsletter detailing the Recreation
Ministry) lists winners of last week's basketball league championship,
volleyball league results, information about the spring golf and tennis
tournaments, and an article indicating ways you can lose those extra
pounds that were gained over the holidays. There is also an announce-
ment about a trip to Europe that is scheduled for the fall. Most of the
Recreation Ministry is conducted at the First Baptist Church Activities
Center located four miles from downtown. Built better than 30 years
ago on an eight-acre tract of land that was purchased for future specu-
lation, the Activities Center is centrally located directly behind Wilm-
ington's primary shopping mall.

With a gymnasium, softball field, locker rooms, game room, book
store, kitchen, designated space for children and teenagers and meeting
rooms; First Baptist has used this facility to enrich the lives of its mem-
bers and serve as an outreach arm to the community. It is used for com-
mittee meetings, banquets, overnight shelter for mission teams, and
community meetings for support groups, a pre-school, and activities
for children, teenagers, and adults of all ages, scout troops, and church
wide gatherings. From 2001-2004, the gymnasium served as the wor-
ship center for another church that was burned out of their building.

When the tourists look on the back of the Kingdom News they find
a list of the ministerial and support staff. First Baptist has seven or-
dained, male clergy; one ordained female clergy, two male full-time pro-
gram staff members; two female full-time program staff members; five
female part-time program staff members and seven members of the sup-
port staff. While this may seem to be a large staff, each person has plenty
to do as they minister to a congregation of over 2,200 members, 1,500
of whom live in the Wilmington area. In addition to the pastors, First
Baptist has a team of fifty-six deacons who serve the congregation. Fif-
teen of the current members of the ordained diaconate are women.

As the tour through the church nears its end, the pastor of twenty-two
years enters the sanctuary. Accompanying him is the rest of the ministe-
rial staff — the Youth Minister who has been on staff for thirty years, the
Minister of Music who has planned and directed the worship services for the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

past sixteen years, the woman who has served as the Minister of Spiritual
Formation since 2001, and the man who has served as Associate Pastor for
the last eighteen years. When asked to describe the congregation they serve,
this team of ministers agrees that First Baptist is a church that lives by its
mission statement of "becoming, and helping others become, fully devoted
followers of Jesus Christ."

When asked about the demographics of the membership, the minis-
ters tell of their oldest female member who is 98 years old, and the man
who has been a member for more than 80 years. They tell the visitors
about the 90 members who have been part of First Baptist for better
than 50 years and the 900 who are between the ages of twenty-five and
sixty-five. They describe the average member as 40 years of age, with a
college degree, and as being a white collared professional. The major-
ity of members have an above average income. Most members are in-
terested in and involved in community service, though most did not
grow up in Wilmington. A number of the members are politically active
with a healthy split of conservative Democrats and compassionate Re-
publicans. The majority of female members are employed outside of
their homes. Most members drive at least five miles and pass a dozen
other churches to worship with First Baptist Church. This description
makes First Baptist look very much like the city in which it is situated.

Wilmington, North Carolina has a population of 93,000 people with
the majority being between the ages of 25 and 55. It is a close-knit com-
munity— literally — in that the area of Wilmington is only 54 square
miles and located in the smallest county in the state. The median age
of a citizen is 34 years. The annual median family income is $40,200
and 54 percent of the citizens have college experience. Thirty-one per-
cent have earned a bachelor's degree. This is not surprising in that
Wilmington is home to Cape Fear Community College, with an enroll-
ment of more than 6,000 students in its college-preparation program
and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, which boasts a stu-
dent population of 11,000. The average home in New Hanover County,
of which Wilmington is the county seat, costs $156,000. The cost of liv-
ing has increased dramatically since the opening of Interstate 40 con-
nected Wilmington to the rest of North Carolina in 1990. The
population of New Hanover County has increased by 33 percent over
the past fifteen years.

Wilmington is fortunate to have a strong employment base with the
presence of large employers such as General Electric, Corning, Veri-

Introduction

zon, Progress Energy, Pharmaceutical Product Development, the Uni-
versity of North Carolina at Wilmington, New Hanover Regional Med-
ical Network and film production studios nearby. The category in which
First Baptist Church and the demographics of Wilmington contrast is
the area of racial makeup. While 80 percent of the population of Wilm-
ington is white and 17 percent are African-Americans, First Baptist cur-
rently has no African-American members.

One of the members of the tour asks, "Is this a Southern Baptist
Church?" The team of ministers quickly responds by saying, "Yes and
no." We are a Baptist church that is located in the south, but we are
not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention." First Baptist was
represented at the initial meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention
in Augusta, Georgia in 1845, and even hosted the annual meeting of
the Convention in 1897. However, after twenty years of being frustrated
by actions of the Convention, First Baptist Church voted to "officially"
sever ties with the SBC and removed the words "Southern Baptist Con-
vention" from its Constitution and By-laws in January of 2001.

First Baptist participated in the formation of the Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship in the early 1990s. The church is one of the leading con-
gregations of the national organization of CBF and CBF of North Car-
olina.

With a rich heritage of mission involvement, First Baptist has always
been, and remains, a team player with the North Carolina Baptist State
Convention and the Wilmington Baptist Association as well as a leading
church in numerous ecumenical ministry efforts around the city.

First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Carolina has always be-
lieved its foundation is solidified by strongly held traditional Baptist
convictions concerning the authority of scripture, the priesthood of all
believers, the autonomy of the local church, believer's baptism and re-
ligious liberty.

In 2002, First Baptist spent a good deal of time and effort discussing
and determining who they are as a congregation by writing and agree-
ing upon the following mission, vision and values statements:

Standing on the shoulders of those who have come before us,
and believing that the best is yet to be for our congregation,
we the members of First Baptist Church Wilmington, North
Carolina, commit to the following:

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Mission Vision and Values
of First Baptist Church, Wilmington, Noth Carolina

Our Mission: To honor God by becoming and helping others become
fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Our Vision: To become a community of believers that is open and wel-
coming to anyone, no matter where they are on their faith journey, and is
intentionally joining with Christ in his redemptive work and purposes in
the world.

The core values that we, the members of First Baptist Church, are in-
tentional in our efforts to live by are:

Biblical: believing the Bible is true and that its teaching is the catalyst
for life-change in an individual and the church

Evangelistic: believing unchurched people matter to God, and therefore
ought to matter to the church

Relevant: believing the church should be culturally relevant while re-
maining doctrinally sound

Transformational: believing followers of Jesus should live authentic
Christian lives and strive for continuous spiritual growth

Purposeful: believing the church is a unified community of servants,
each one exercising their unique spiritual gifts, and structured ac-
cording to the nature and mission of the church

Loving: believing loving relationships should permeate every aspect of
church life

Relational: believing life-change happens best through relationships

Excellent: believing excellence honors God and inspires people

Spiritual: believing the pursuit of full devotion to Christ and His cause
is expected of every believer

Free: believing in religious liberty for all people, the separation of
church and state, and the autonomy of the local church

CHAPTER ONE

A Heritage of Hope
through Fragile Beginnings

The history of Baptists is written in blood, sweat and tears. Despised
and rejected by leaders of the Anglican Church of England, the earli-
est Baptists were living examples of perseverance during their infancy
years of seventeenth century England. Influenced by Anabaptists and Pu-
ritans, their foundational belief was that baptism could only be adminis-
tered upon a personal profession of faith in Jesus Christ. The initial mode
of baptism was by pouring water over the head of new believers. Eventu-
ally a transition was made to baptizing by immersion.

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, most Baptists have five foun-
dational doctrines they embrace, but no creeds by which they live. These
cornerstone beliefs are: 1) Believer's Baptism by Immersion; 2) The Au-
thority of the Bible; 3) Separation of Church and State; 4) The Autonomy
of each Local Church; and 5) Religious Liberty. A high price was paid by
those founding fathers and mothers who risked their lives and made great
sacrifices in order that Baptists like those who are a part of the congre-
gation called "First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Carolina" might
continue to thrive almost four hundred years later.

Under the leadership of Rev. John Smyth, a clergyman of the Church
of England and a graduate of Cambridge University, and Thomas Helwys,
a wealthy English layman, the first group of people who called themselves
"Baptists" was organized in Amsterdam in 1609.5 This congregation was
made up of a sect of people who felt it was their duty to withdraw from
the Church of England and establish a "pure church" whereby they would
attempt to restore what they believed to be the biblical model of a church
without corruption. Their defining beliefs were that the Bible, not church

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

tradition or religious creeds, would be their guide in all matters of faith
and practice.6 Secondly, they believed the church should be made up of
believers only, not all people who were born into the local parishes.7
Thirdly, they believed the church should be governed by those believers
who were a part of it, not by a Pope or authoritative bishops.8 They be-
lieved that each believer should have an equal voice in the affairs of the
church and that each member was to be looked upon as a minister within
the congregation.

In 1609, Rev. Smyth performed the radical act of baptizing himself by
pouring water over his head. In turn, he then baptized Helwys and oth-
ers who made up the infant movement that drew the ire of the Church of
England.9 By 1611, Thomas Helwys and a few other members of this first
church migrated back to London where they established a second church
in 1612. 10 The move would cost Helwys his life, but by 1644 their oppo-
nents estimated there were as many as 47 Baptist churches in England.11
These earliest Baptists were not just harassed and heckled but received
the severe persecution of imprisonment, public beatings, and even death
as a reward for their devotion to religious freedom, civil liberty, and the
practice of baptizing believers only after a personal commitment of faith
in Jesus Christ. As a result of the intense pressure being placed upon
these religious rebels called "Baptists" who would not conform to the de-
mands of the Church and government of England, Baptists began to
board ships destined for a new land of freedom across the Atlantic Ocean.
In an effort to escape the perils they faced in England, Baptists became
some of the first settlers of the American colonies. However, upon their
arrival in the new land, they found English Puritans and Anglicans were
a step ahead and had already settled and begun to organize new churches
in the colonies.

While it is thought that there were Baptists among those Separatists
who made up the first band of Pilgrims, who sailed to America on the
Mayflower and established the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts in
1620, the first Baptist church in America was actually organized by Roger
Williams in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1638. 12 This mother church of
all Baptists in America met for worship in a small white building that still
stands as a monument to all those who have persevered and been a part
of the Baptist churches that continue to flourish to this day. A few years
after its establishment, a second Baptist church was formed in Boston in
1665. 13 Soon, there were more Baptist congregations being formed with
the exploration and expansion of new land in America. One such church

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

was started in Kittery, Maine, but by 1683 the congregation found it was
so harassed by Puritans that they removed themselves from the region
and sailed southward to South Carolina. Upon entering the inlet of the
Ashley River near Charleston, the Reverend William Screven and seven-
teen people who were sailing with him, settled into a new colony and es-
tablished the first Baptist church in the South. Ten years later this small
sect of believers migrated further up the river and became the First Bap-
tist Church of Charleston, South Carolina with Rev. Screven serving as
their pastor.14

At the turn of the 18th Century, the Baptist church in Charleston began
to send out missionaries to surrounding areas for the purpose of begin-
ning new churches. Those who were recognized for having the gift of
proclamation and a desire for evangelism were licensed to preach and
commissioned to serve. Rev. Screven himself led the way in this effort by
moving slightly northward to Georgetown, South Carolina where he es-
tablished a new congregation after securing a new pastor for the church
in Charleston. Each new church that was started had a connection to the
Charleston Baptist Church so they organized themselves into the
Charleston Baptist Association in 1751.15 The purpose of establishing the
association was to promote fellowship among the churches, affirm com-
monly held beliefs, provide counsel and assistance to other churches, and
to establish a structure through which churches could cooperate in their
broader ministries and mission work. At least five churches that were
members of the Charleston Baptist Association, were located in North
Carolina, by 1769.16 It is with this in mind, and because of the similari-
ties in worship style, theology, mission, church polity and historicity, that
it is thought the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Carolina was
birthed in the tradition of the Charleston Church, and has continued to
define itself in such a manner to this day.

History appears to be silent as to when Baptists first entered the lower
Cape Fear region of southeastern North Carolina. There is an excerpt
from a letter written by the Rector of St. James Parish in Wilmington bn
October 1, 1759 that states there is ". . .an enthusiastic sect who call them-
selves Anabaptists, which is numerous and which was daily increasing in
this parish...".17 Three years later John McDowell wrote of this same
group of people stating, ". . .they call themselves new light Anabaptists; we
hope this frolic (dissenting poor families of fishermen in Brunswick
County near Lockwood's Folly) will soon dwindle away and disappear as
it has already done in many places." 18

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The reputation of most Baptists in southeastern North Carolina prior
to 1800 was such that they were, ". . .a poor, illiterate, ignorant, and awk-
ward sect of enthusiasts — a disorderly bunch who encouraged noise and
confusion at their meetings and allowed any ignorant man who had the
urge to preach. Surprisingly, they even allowed females to pray in pub-
lic."19 'They were generally poor, without luster in their dress and com-
portment, and very often their speech was ungrammatical."20 Typically,
they were farmers and fishermen who were not deterred by threats of
being incarcerated or assaulted for beginning the foundation of what
would eventually become the largest protestant denomination in the
state.

By 1766, this sect was continuing to grow such that John Barnett
wrote, "New Light Baptists are very numerous in the southern parts of
this parish — the most illiterate among them are their teachers. Even Ne-
groes speak in their meetings."21 The eighteenth century historian Mor-
gan Edwards reported that, "...Lockwood's Folly was settled by
Baptists — fishermen from Cape May, New Jersey. In 1757 and 1758,
Nathaniel Powell and James Turner of Sandy Creek preached to them. In
1772, Ezekiel Hunter of New River preached, and organized them into a
branch of his church. They initially belonged to the Sandy Creek Associ-
ation."22 There is minimal information concerning this group of "New
Light Baptists" though minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association
dated 1806 indicates there did exist two Brunswick County congregations
that went by the names of Lockwood's Folly Baptist Church and Lev-
ingston's Creek Baptist Church.23

Baptists organized their first churches in North Carolina sometime
prior to 1727.

Shiloh Baptist Church, located in present-day Camden County,
claims that year as the date of its beginning, and it is the state's oldest
Baptist church still in existence today.24 This was only the beginning of
an outreach effort that has expanded to better than 3,900 Baptist
churches across North Carolina, in 2008. The presence of Baptists in
Colonial North Carolina grew quickly to the point that Governor
Richard Everhard, the last of the Proprietary governors, reported to the
Bishop of London, in 1729 that, "Quakers and Baptists flourish amongst
the North Carolinians."25 Governor Everhard went on to lament, "The
dissenting Quakers and Baptists are very busy making proselytes and
holding meetings daily. . .and by the means of one Paul Palmer, the Bap-
tist teacher, he has gained hundreds."26 Baptist Evangelist Shubal

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

Sterns traveled to North Carolina from his home in Philadelphia in the
1750s to begin what evolved into one of the greatest spiritual awaken-
ings ever to happen in North Carolina.

What started as a revival meeting in the piedmont, emerged into an
evangelism explosion that resulted in the birth of dozens of churches
that eventually came together to form the Sandy Creek Baptist Associ-
ation that was comprised of Baptist churches in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. North Carolina's Colonial Governor,
General William Tryon, was an ardent supporter of the established Epis-
copal Church of North Carolina, and railed against the Baptists, mak-
ing him a rather unpopular gentleman in the eyes of many North
Carolinians. Governor Tryon called the Baptists "...the avowed enemies
of the mother church" and "a scandal to common sense," that was being
led by "rascally fellows who are called pastors."27

The dawn of the nineteenth century looked promising for continu-
ing the expansion of Baptist churches in North Carolina. A new spiritual
awakening was beginning to emerge from the valleys of Kentucky and
quickly spreading across the southeastern United States. Like a mighty
northeastern wind blowing across the coastal plains of North Carolina,
reports came from Bertie County pastor, Elder Lemuel Burkitt, who
proclaimed the happy news of revivals that were occurring from the
mountains to the sea. For the year 1811, Baptist historian David Bene-
dict reported a membership of better than 11,000 in more than 180
Baptist churches located in North Carolina.28 The number of churches
increased to 200 just one year later, and the number of members had
grown to 13,000.29 One of these churches was a small congregation that
was formed sometime prior to 1808 in the growing port city of Wilm-
ington.

According to minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association, meeting
in their annual session on Saturday, October 1, 1808 at Moore's Creek
Meeting House, the Association "received a newly constituted church in
fellowship from Wilmington, by delegates and letter."30 Delegates rep-
resenting the new church in Wilmington were "an unordained
preacher" named John Larkins and Peter Smyth, "an ordained, licensed
preacher," though the minutes indicate that the Wilmington Church
did not have a pastor.31 A letter to the Wilmington Morning Star, in
1948, from a Baptist pastor who was a descendent of John Larkins
shared some interesting information concerning the Wilmington
Church.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

I have a minute of the Cape Fear Baptist association enrolling
as a delegate John Larkins, kinsman of mine, to the association
from the First Baptist church in Wilmington, N.C., in 1806,
and he continued in this capacity until 1820. Now I want to
say further that the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, N.C.
was organized about the year 1695, then they erected a house
of worship with the best material available. It was erected
about where the First Baptist Church now stands. This was the
second Baptist church to organize in North Carolina. The first
Baptist church organized in North Carolina was organized
under a brush harbor on the banks of Black river near site of
the present Hawbluff Baptist. The members organizing this
church had letters of dismission from a Baptist church in Bath,
England. The first church house of any denomination was built
of logs on the Black river at a place then called Larkin's Land-
ing. I have a photograph of that old log church. All history of
North Carolina, both profane and sacred began in South East-
ern North Carolina. These Baptists, who were Larkins, came
from Bath, England in 1690.32

This writer has been unable to find further information that substan-
tiates these claims.

The initial report from the Wilmington Church revealed it was the
smallest church in the Association with only twenty members. In addition
to applying for membership into the Cape Fear Association, the new
church in Wilmington sent a contribution of ten English shillings to be
used for mission work by the Association. There were nineteen churches
that made up the Cape Fear Baptist Association at this time with mem-
berships ranging from a low of twenty in Wilmington to over two hundred
in the Cape Fear Baptist Church meeting in Fayetteville. The geograph-
ical make-up of the Association involved churches in Cumberland,
Bladen, Robeson, Brunswick, and New Hanover, Onslow, and Sampson
counties. From its meager beginning, Wilmington's first Baptist church
made mission work, and giving to mission causes a top priority.

The following year, 1809, the Wilmington Church was again repre-
sented at the annual meeting of the Cape Fear Association. This time the
meeting was held at the New River Meeting House in Onslow County and
Peter Smyth accompanied two new delegates representing the Baptist
Church in Wilmington. Simon Sellers and Rueben Everitt — ordained

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

ministers — joined Peter Smyth to report that the fledgling church had
baptized six new believers since they last met at Moore's Creek in 1808,
and they had received two new members by transfer of their membership
from sister churches.33 The church reported they were still without a pas-
tor, and again, they contributed ten shillings to partnership mission
causes.

The next report from the Wilmington Church would come two years
later when Rueben Everitt and Peter Smyth traveled to Nahungo Meet-
ing House in Duplin County for the annual meeting of the Cape Fear Bap-
tist Association that occurred on October 5. There were now twenty-three
churches making up the Association and the church in Wilmington was
reporting only twenty members. Still the smallest of the Baptist churches
in southeastern North Carolina, the Wilmington congregation reported
it had excommunicated two members since it last reported to the Asso-
ciation.

Church discipline was an important part of the history of the Wilm-
ington Church and the dismissal of members was a frequent occurrence
in the early years of this body of believers. It is only conjecture, but the
congregation must have been concerned that minimal numerical growth
was taking place for the church. Stability was obvious by the fact that fa-
miliar names are representing the church at the annual meetings of the
Cape Fear Association, but growth was almost non-existent in the early
years while most other congregations of other denominations were on
the rise in Wilmington. Though the congregation was not growing in
number, their gifts toward mission work were slowly increasing. In 1811,
they contributed fifteen shillings to mission work within the Associa-
tion.34

Minutes of the Cape Fear Association indicate the Wilmington Church
reported every year through 1825. By this time, the church had grown to
forty-three members having baptized fourteen new believers under the
capable leadership of Rev. Jonathan Bryan in that year. It may be inferred
that Rev. Bryan served as pastor of the congregation in 1824 and 1825
because he is the lone representative of the Wilmington Church at the an-
nual Associational meetings.

Between the years of 1811 and 1824, the names of Reuben Everitt,
John Everitt (this may be the same person), John Larkins, Peter Smyth
and John Picket appear regularly as delegates from the Wilmington
Church. While the church never reported having a pastor during these
years, all of these men were listed as "ordained preachers" in the annual

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

minutes of the Association so it is quite probable that they took turns
leading the congregation in worship and made up the administrative and
pastoral leadership of the church. Unfortunately, there are no records or
minutes of meetings held by the Wilmington Church prior to 1833 that
still exist within the church. Information concerning the buildings, lead-
ers, struggles, revivals, pastors and the like has been ascertained from
reading minutes of the Cape Fear and Goshen Baptist Associations as well
as recordings of local historians.

By 1826, the Cape Fear Association had grown to thirty-four churches
and the decision was made that a new Baptist Association should be
formed by geographically dividing the Association. An imaginary line was
drawn from Wilmington up the Cape Fear River to the mouth of the Black
River and over to Lisbon. The existing churches located to the east of this
line would make up the new Goshen Association. Those that were to the
west of the line retained the name of the Cape Fear Association. Dele-
gates from the Wilmington Church were not present at this meeting, nor
were there representatives from the Baptists of Wilmington at the first
two annual meetings of the new Goshen Association. However, there is
evidence that the church was still in existence.

According to the "Map of Wilmington," by T.E. Hyde, dated August of
1826, a "Baptist Meeting House" in Wilmington was located on "Lot No.
97" on South Front Street.35 Lot 97 is designated as the second lot south
of the corner of Front and Ann Streets, on the east side of the street. The
house shown on the map has two entrance doors in the front, two win-
dows on the second floor level with an oval topped window in the center
between these two windows. Above the two oblong windows are two half-
oval shaped windows. The steps leading to the entrance doors stretched
the entire length of the front of the building. Hyde's map "shows the two-
story Baptist Church as one of the major buildings of the city."36

It is not known how this house actually became the "Baptist Meeting
House." Though Hyde's map designated it as such, the property was
legally part of the estate of John Sedgwick Springs who acquired it in the
division of the estate of his uncle Nehemiah Harris in 1820.37 Mr. Springs
died in 1825 leaving a wife, Mary Gasper Springs and several young chil-
dren. There was no mention of the property being used as a place of wor-
ship or to conduct church business, but it is assumed that John Sedgwick
Springs may have been one of the founding members of the church.

On February 22, 1834, John K. Mcllheny and Thomas Cowan, acting
for the widow and children of John S. Springs, deeded the property to the

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

Baptist Church.38 According to minutes of a church conference held in
April of 1842, Mary Springs presented herself for church membership
and was received.39 Then, in January of 1851, Samuel Westbrook and wife
Amanda, Jason Hunt and wife Prudence, William Donnell and wife Mary,
and John D.M. Springs, all of Guilford County, deeded to George R.
French, Nathan E. Brickhouse, Isham Peterson, James J. Bryan, and Ben-
jamin F. Mitchell, Trustees of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington,
"one half of a lot on Front Street between Ann Street and Nun Street,
numbered as lot No. 97 in section B. . .whereon stands the Baptist Church
in the town of Wilmington."40 This building served as the worship center
and the place the church met to handle its business affairs until at least
1864 when they moved to Wilmington's City Hall until the current sanc-
tuary at the corner of Market Street and Fifth Avenue was completed in
1870.

The building used as the original Baptist Meeting House is still stand-
ing and has been renovated. The house now serves as the residence of Mr.
and Mrs. William E. Poole who are members of First Baptist Church. The
house sits back from the street on a raised lot that has been designated
as "Baptist Hill." The First Baptist Church has a Sunday School class for
adults that goes by this same name.

The Wilmington Church sent its first delegates to the annual meeting
of the Goshen Baptist Association, in October of 1829, when it met in ses-
sion at the Limestone Meeting House in Duplin County. Morris Parker
and J. King brought the report that thirty-four members made up the
Wilmington congregation and they sent $1.50 to be used for mission
work.41 Mr. Parker continued representing the Wilmington Church at the
annual meetings for the next three years.

By 1832, the membership had grown to fifty-three with fifteen of
these new members being baptized and at least six having been ex-
cluded from the church for disciplinary reasons such as conduct un-
becoming of a Christian, failure to attend church meetings, or
speaking negatively about the church. 42 The Reverend James Mc-
Daniel, a pastor from Fayetteville who was instrumental in the found-
ing of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in 1830, was
present at each meeting of the Goshen Association to provide leader-
ship and often times a sermon. The name of James McDaniel also ap-
pears throughout the early minutes of the Wilmington Church before
he eventually became its pastor in 1844.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The Second Organization: 1833

The 1830s found Wilmington at peace with the world. Following the
War of 1812, the citizens of this port city settled themselves to a much
more prosperous existence than they had before experienced. There was a
noticeable increase in foreign trade due to the numerous naval stores that
lined the riverfront. The population had swollen to approximately 3,000
and development along cultural lines matched the advance in trade and
commerce. A new day was also dawning for the Baptists of this fair city.

For unbeknownst reasons, the Wilmington Church located on the
southeast bluff of Front and Ann Streets organized itself anew on April 13,
1833 with 127 charter members.43 For many years it was thought that
this was the founding date of the church because of the lack of church
records prior to this reorganization and the distinctiveness of the
church's statement of Constitution and Covenant found in Appendix One.

It is disappointing that the remainder of this page in the Book of Min-
utes is torn so there are no names that appear. However, because of the
notation that this meeting took place in the "Baptist Meeting House" we
are assured of the fact that the church had previously been organized into
existence. There is speculation that the church felt the need to "recon-
stitute," rather than reorganize itself because of the newly constituted
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina which occurred in 1830.
Many Baptist churches about this time did reconstitute, or reorganize in
order to become supportive members of the Baptist State Convention,
and to receive benefits offered by doing so. The Wilmington Church
reaped such a reward when the Convention met in 1833. It was at this
meeting that "an appropriation of one hundred dollars was made to the
Wilmington Church and one hundred dollars to the Washington Church,
provided that the churches secure ministers approved by the Board."44

With the reconstitution of the church came a new excitement within
the congregation, and their first "official" pastor. In addition to the
recorded minutes of the church, the report of the Goshen Baptist Asso-
ciation meeting in October of 1833 at Lisbon Meeting House in Sampson
County, notes Reverend Jacob C. Grigg as pastor of the Wilmington
Church and a delegate representing the congregation along with two lay-
men, Dennis Collins and H. Costin. It is also noted that Rev. Grigg deliv-
ered a sermon at this meeting, along with Rev. James McDaniel of
Fayetteville. In addition to the report that the Wilmington Church now
had eighty-nine members, having baptized thirty-five in the last year, Rev.
Grigg presented a letter at the meeting that stated:

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

This church was first constituted on April 13, 1833. At its con-
stitution, Elders Lewis Whitfield and John Armstrong presided,
and assisted it by their advice and council. At its constitution,
brethren Warren and Grigg were requested to take pastoral
charge of the brethren, to which they also submitted. Through
indisposition and other engagements Brother Warren has been
precluded from filling up his appointment. The present num-
ber of members is 89 of whom 34 have been baptized since last
February; the others (new members) were received by letter.45

Rev. Grigg also represented the church at the meeting of the Baptist
State Convention that year and was made chairman of the committee on
Sabbath Schools because the reorganized Wilmington Church now had
a Sunday School in place. In addition to sending representatives to the
meeting, the congregation also sent along ten dollars to be used for ed-
ucation and mission expansion. This was a practice of the church from its
first meeting with the Cape Fear Association in 1808 and one the church
has continued to this day. First Baptist has been a team player in part-
nering with other churches to further the cause of Christ through mis-
sionary service and the advancement of Christian Education since its
inception.

It is not surprising that the Wilmington Church moved quickly in a
positive direction upon calling Rev. Jacob Grigg as their pastor. An Eng-
lishman by birth, Rev. Grigg was educated at Bristol Baptist Academy be-
fore beginning his ministry as a missionary to Sierra Leone, on the coast
of Africa. An excellent scholar with a tenacious memory, it is said that he
memorized the entire Bible and frequently introduced lengthy quota-
tions of entire chapters from the sacred writings without referring to the
Bible for reading. Rev. Grigg had the reputation for being an articulate
sermonizer in his early days as a Proclaimer of the gospel. After a short
stint of missionary service in Africa, Rev. Grigg sailed to the port of Nor-
folk where he served as pastor of the Upper Bridge Church. Robert Serri-
ple described Grigg as "unsurpassed by any preacher in Virginia."46

Jacob Grigg remained but a short time in any one place because of his
weakness for the habit of freely consuming intoxicating beverages and
he "possessed a small measure of what is usually denominated common
sense; in the management of his own pecuniary and domestic matters, he
was a mere child."47 Rev. Grigg was near the end of his life by the time he
came to serve the Wilmington Church and had become a friend of the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

temperance cause, having himself abstained entirely from the use of ar-
dent spirits for several years and regained the respect of other preachers.
After serving as pastor for only one year, Rev. Grigg returned to Virginia
where he died in 1835.

The enthusiasm that filled the Wilmington Church in 1833 was short
lived. Minutes from the Goshen Association's annual meeting, the fol-
lowing year contained the following notes concerning the Wilmington
Church.

This church bewails her destitution of a permanent ministry;
and the consequent lukewarmness which for a time prevailed.
They rejoice that the Lord seems to smile upon them, in that
they have begun to experience in a little the times of refresh-
ing from the presence of the Lord, through the instrumental-
ity of Elder WJ. Findley, who occasionally visits them. Their
membership number is now 81. 48

That year, for the first time since it began attending the annual meet-
ings of the Cape Fear Association and the Goshen Association, the church
did not present a gift for missionary work. It seems that the Wilmington
Church did not have a pastor during 1834, but depended on the work of
Elder WJ. Findley who was ordained at this meeting. Rev. Findley repre-
sented them at the annual meeting along with Dennis Collins, H. Costin
and J. King.

Early in 1835, the Wilmington Church called A.W Chambliss to be
their pastor and he remained for the next two years. Although little is
known about Rev. Chambliss, records of the Baptist State Convention
and Goshen Baptist Association infer that he was evangelistic in his
preaching and very much a disciplinarian in regards to church member-
ship. Rev. Chambliss and Rev. WJ. Findley, who was now an agent of the
Baptist State Convention in southeastern North Carolina, represented
the church at the convention of 1835. "The pastor was made a member
of the committee on periodicals and was chairman of the committee on
temperance."49 The church also sent ten dollars to the work of missions
and education that year and Rev. Findley made an additional contribution
of sixteen dollars to the missions and education work of the convention.
This money was desperately needed for the expanding mission work and
the founding of a new school in Wake Forest, in 1834.

Rev. Chambliss challenged the struggling congregation to look out-

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

side its self to the possibilities that surrounded it. Minutes of the Goshen
Association confirm that the congregation was up to the task by con-
tributing generous gifts of $23.31 to the mission endeavors of the Asso-
ciation during 1835 and 1836. The church also baptized twenty-three
new believers during this two year span while excluding twenty-two
members for conduct that was detrimental to the integrity of the church.
A note that appeared in the Biblical Recorder stated, ".. .the Wilmington
church is in a prosperous condition. It is a source of high gratification to
learn that the prospects of the church are more promising than they have
ever been before. "50An added notation in the Associational minutes of
1836 stated:

It appears that the church at this place has experienced the
smiles of heaven in some good degree. Fifteen have been added
by baptism, and most of them very efficient members. The com-
mencement of the past year was characterized by the effusion
of the good spirit; at which time the revival alluded to took
place. The later part is marked by coldness and indifference,
upon the great subject of Religion. They enjoy peace among
themselves. Rev. A.W. Chambliss has recently resigned the pas-
toral care of the church, and contemplates a removal from that
place. The church expresses great regret at this. They have a
flourishing Sabbath School of 39 scholars and 9 teachers.51

The church had but sixty-nine members at this point but a commit-
ted lot they were. Led by laymen like George R. French, James J. Bryan,
Isham Peterson, and Benjamin F. Mitchell, the Wilmington Church,
which was beginning to go by the name of "Front Street Baptist Church,"
continued to remain steady in the midst of constant change and transi-
tion in pastoral leadership. This was vital for the existence of the church
in its earliest days because the congregation had a policy that allowed for
the pastor to serve for only one year and upon completion, the congre-
gation, and pastor would decide whether they would continue the part-
nership any further. This is the reason for the short tenure of service for
the first six pastors.

In the midst of the anxieties and aspirations, heartaches, joys, and tri-
umphs that have defined First Baptist Church, the pulpit presence of the
pastors has paled in comparison to the prayerful commitment to God and
furthering God's Kingdom in Wilmington, North Carolina by the people in

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the pew. One of the strongest leaders the congregation has ever known was
George R. French, Sr. — a merchant whose name appears in leadership roles
throughout the minutes of First Baptist Church until his death in 1889.

Born in Massachusetts, George French relocated to Wilmington in
1822, at the age of 20, and committed his life to following Christ through
the waters of baptism in 1827 through the ministry of the Baptist church
in Wilmington. The Wilmington Messenger stated that he was "immersed
by the Rev. James McDaniel."52 A silence in church minutes leaves one
wondering about the impact Mr. French had upon the church prior to
1836. However, by that time, he was serving as the Church Clerk and con-
tinued to do so for the next three years. This would be the first of many
important roles George French would play in leading First Baptist
Church to become one of the largest, and strongest congregations in
North Carolina. For the next fifty years the name of George French ap-
peared in almost every important decision involving the church. He was
an important player in the calling of pastors, issues pertaining to the busi-
ness and buildings of the church. George Reed French is one of the peo-
ple the church depended on when it was without pastoral leadership. His
time, talent, resources and leadership were not only reserved for the
church. George French was a leader in the community as well as across
the state of North Carolina.

The house standing on Baptist Hill, at 305 South Front Street, was
the original Meeting House of the Baptist Church in Wilmington. How-
ever, according to the June 1, 1838 edition of the Wilmington Advertiser:

The Baptist Church, of this town, was dedicated to the service
of Almighty God on Sunday, the 27th by the Rev. Mr. McDaniel.
The Rev. Dr. Brantly, of Charleston was expected to have as-
sisted on the occasion, but he was unable to come. The rites
and services were deeply interesting to many of our citizens.
Every praise is due to the liberality and zeal of our townsman,
Mr. George R. French, for his agency in erecting a Church, the
neatness of whose interior surpasses that of any other in Wilm-
ington; and indeed we may say it combines in a higher degree
than any Baptist Church we have ever seen, either in or out of
the State, that beauty which arises out of simplicity, neatness
of workmanship, and convenience of arrangement.53

Because this article emphasizes the beauty of the "interior" of the

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

church, it is believed Mr. French led, and perhaps financed an effort to
renovate the inside of the existing building. First Baptist did not have a
pastor during this time, which leads this writer to conclude that George
French was the primary leader of the congregation. It is also interesting
to note that Rev. James McDaniel was invited to come down to Wilming-
ton from his pastorate at First Baptist in Fayetteville to lead in the dedi-
cation of the new building. The Biblical Recorder stated there was a large
crowd that attended the first service held in the newly dedicated building
and that a Bible was presented to the church by two daughters of a lady
who had recently joined the church, though no names are mentioned.54

In addition to his responsibilities in Fayetteville, Rev. McDaniel was
also serving as President of the newly organized Baptist State Conven-
tion at the time. It is presumed that George French and Rev. James Mc-
Daniel had a close friendship with one another that found its genesis in
Rev. McDaniel baptizing Mr. French. From that day forward, George
French probably depended on the wisdom and advice of Rev. McDaniel a
great deal while First Baptist was both with, and without a pastor. As men-
tioned previously, the name of Rev. James McDaniel often appears in the
early records of the church.

George French not only enjoyed the confidence of the Baptist faith
community, but this esteemed gentleman was also highly respected in
the business community. Having arrived in Wilmington in 1822 when it
resembled a village more than a city, Mr. French had the determination
to take a chance on the lottery of its future by forming a boot and shoe
business that evolved into a booming enterprise that resulted in the name
of George French becoming a household name in southeastern North
Carolina. His marriage to Wilmington native Sarah Caroline Weeks and
the ultimate birth of their ten children solidified his standing in the com-
munity.

With his success in business, marriage to a local girl and involvement
in the community, George French became intimately associated with most
prominent enterprises in the area. He built the first three-story, and four-
story buildings in the business district of the city. The second of which
was a steel-framed metal-front building he designed in an effort to pre-
vent a loss by fires that were common to Wilmington because of the many
wooden structures that lined the Cape Fear River and surrounding area.

The Biblical Recorder reported that an awful fire occurred in 1843,
and that reduced a large portion of downtown Wilmington to ashes.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

It is doubtless, all things considered, the most calamitous
event that has ever befallen Wilmington. The part lay waste by
the fire of January, 1840, was almost built up again, and our
town presented a cheerful aspect; but alas for the cherished
hopes of exemption from a similar visitation, we have now an-
other large space occupied but by blackened walls and heaps of
smoldering ruins. The fire of Sunday last, destroyed we think,
at least two hundred buildings, of every kind, besides an im-
mense deal of other species of property. Between eleven and
twelve of that day, whilst the wind was blowing almost a hur-
ricane from the South, the greatest part of the inhabitants
being at the same time engaged in religious services at the var-
ious Churches, a blaze was discovered issuing from the roof of
the old brick warehouse known as McKay's, on the alley next
North of the Bank of Cape Fear. Almost immediately, the
flames took hold of several adjacent wooden buildings on the
Northeast; and sweeping in a few minutes across Princess
Street, . . . and cut off nearly every hope of saving any of the
Northern part of the town above those points, between Front
and Water and Front and Second Streets. Several of the houses
burnt were among the best in this place, and a large portion of
valuable ones.55

Brother George French personally carried an insurance policy on the
downtown Baptist Church because of fear that such a fire could be cata-
strophic for them. It was not until 1851, when the church was on more
solid financial footing, that the congregation picked up the cost for the
insurance on their worship center.

George French was a board member of the Bank of Cape Fear and
President of the Bank of Wilmington. He was a founding member of
Wilmington's only gas company and an original subscriber to the local
Hospital Association and the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad — the first
railway system in North Carolina. He was also the President of the Sea-
men's Friend Society. Each of these leadership positions required George
French's time and attention, but it was his love of God, family, and his de-
votion to First Baptist Church that merited his recognition as one of the
greatest leaders in the history of the church.

Not only did he serve in all leadership capacities and contribute gen-
erously to the renovation of the Meeting House on Baptist Hill, but it was

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

George French who negotiated the purchase of the lot on which the cur-
rent First Baptist sanctuary stands. He also accompanied Rev. John Lamb
Prichard in traveling up the eastern seaboard in search of a sanctuary by
which to model the current sanctuary. George French secured the serv-
ices of Architect Samuel Sloan to design the present edifice, assisted in
supervising the building project and provided a large portion of the
money to build it. In all departments of life, Mr. French was a useful and
honored member of the city of Wilmington, and certainly it's First Bap-
tist Church. Upon his death in 1889, at the age of 87, the church and the
community lost a trusted friend whose life was celebrated in a service of
remembrance at First Baptist Church, and whose body was laid to rest in
Oakdale Cemetery.56

The Wilmington Church was without a pastor during the years of 1837
and 1838 though Rev. James McDaniel made frequent visits to the port
city in order to assist the congregation by serving as Moderator for busi-
ness conferences and preaching occasionally. George French corre-
sponded with Rev. McDaniel between visits seeking his guidance and
wisdom as Mr. French and a handful of other laymen held the church to-
gether until a pastor could be installed.

James J. Bryan was another one of the capable laymen who saw to the
stability of the church during these lean years. His commitment to the
discipleship of the future leaders of the congregation is evidenced by the
remarks he shared at the annual meeting of the Goshen Baptist Associa-
tion in 1839.

Bryan spoke out promoting Sabbath Schools in all the
churches of the Association asking that they exert all possible
diligence in promoting the Sabbath School for giving a right
direction to the minds of the young in relation to the moral
government of God, their obligations to Christ, their relative
duties to their fellow men, and the salvation of their own
souls.57

An interesting statement regarding the length of service of the pastor
of the Wilmington Church appears in the minutes of a church confer-
ence held on April 5, 1839. The minutes read: "Resolved that brother A.R
Repiton be, and continue as pastor of this church as long as the pastor
and members shall agree."58 This relationship did not last long, and was
strained at best.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Rev. Repiton resigned by the middle of November of that same year
after having a heated disagreement with James Bryan who was the leader
of the congregation's Sabbath School at the time — the same position
Rev. Repiton held prior to being called as pastor. Rev. Repiton requested
that the membership of both he and his wife be removed from the church
upon his resignation. This was only the beginning of what would become
a strange relationship between Rev. Repiton and the Wilmington Church
for many years to come.

A graduate of what is the University of Richmond today, Alphonse Paul
Repiton relocated to Wilmington from Virginia, in order to lead the Sabbath
School of the Wilmington Church. After serving in this capacity for just
three months, the church decided to call him as their pastor. Rev. Repiton
held this post for only seven months before resigning under pressure.

The congregation called Rev. Amos Johnston Battle to be their pastor
in January of 1842 after better than two years without a pastor. These
were difficult days for the congregation. Minutes of the Goshen Baptist
Association dated October 2-4, 1840, include the following letter from
the Wilmington Church.

We sincerely regret, that we have to say, that coldness and bar-
renness prevails among us, nevertheless we are making efforts,
by assembling ourselves together, and praying for the pros-
perity of Zion, and that the Lord would build up his cause
amongst us, and that accordingly, it would please him in his
own good time to send us a pastor, to go in and out before us,
under whose ministry, sinners may be converted, mourners
comforted, and our hearts be gladdened by the droppings of
the sanctuary.59

Rev. Battle would serve the congregation for only seventeen months
but he had an incredible impact on the church and the community. He
came to Wilmington from the Baptist Church in Raleigh where he served
as pastor. Rev. Battle was also one of the original trustees of Wake Forest
College. An extremely wealthy man with a superior educational back-
ground, A.J. Battle gave liberally of his time, talent, and finances to build
the Baptist Meeting House in Raleigh, a building to house professors of
Wake Forest, furnish the three buildings that made up the Wake Forest
campus at the time, and landscape the campus of the fledgling institute
of higher learning that was started in 1832, and developed into one of the

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

finest universities in the world today.

The reason for his short pastorate in Wilmington revolved around the
financial needs of the Raleigh Baptist Church and Rev. Battle's desire to
establish an educational opportunity for women similar to what Wake
Forest offered to young men. His dreams became realities in that First
Baptist Church of Raleigh is one of the strongest churches in North Car-
olina today, and the school he labored to begin for women in Murfrees-
boro in 1847 evolved into what is now Chowan College.

It is not surprising that Rev. Battle accomplished these major feats. He
was a visionary whose personality was contagious for all those who knew
him. His zeal for expanding the Kingdom of God in Wilmington extended
to the small congregation of seventy-nine members he inherited upon
his arrival. Rev. Battle baptized 150 new believers during his first six
months on the scene. This made the Wilmington Church the largest of
all the churches in the Goshen Association with 192 members.60 They
also had the largest Sabbath School and were the only church that met
every Sunday for the purpose of worship. It was also during this time that
the congregation made the decision to begin serving the Lord's Supper
on the first Sunday of each month. This is a tradition that the church has
continued to keep to this day.

It was also during the pastorate of Rev. Battle that a large number of
African-Americans were received as members of First Baptist Church,
more often called "Front Street Baptist Church" at the time. The first
record of a "colored" person being received as a member of the congre-
gation was in June of 1838 — "a woman named Hannah."61 Twenty-five
African-American members made a request that they be received as mem-
bers of the church in August of 1842.62 Initially received as "mourners,"
the African-Americans were eventually received as full members just like
their Caucasian brothers and sisters in the faith.

In January of 1845, the African-American members requested and
were granted permission to have a separate Sunday worship service from
the Caucasian members. This service was held at the Baptist Meeting
House on Sunday afternoons at three o'clock. Rev. A.J. Battle served as
the preacher for these initial meetings.

According to church records, on January 2, 1845 the Wilmington
Church took its first steps toward beginning its first new church when the
congregation "voted to allow Brother A.J. Battle permission to use the
church building for the purpose of preaching to the colored people on
Sabbath afternoons and with a view to gathering an African congrega-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

tion."63 They also decided to begin having conferences to handle any busi-
ness affairs of the African-Americans in the congregation on the last Sun-
day of each month. It was during these meetings that the congregation
would receive new members, dismiss members to other churches, and
discipline existing members. This was the same pattern the church as a
whole practiced from its earliest days.

Shortly thereafter, the African-American members of the church asked
that they be allowed to have deacons whose primary purpose would be to
minister to their part of the congregation. This request was granted.
Harry Burgwin and Marsh Walker were selected to serve as deacons on
May 26, 1845 with Charles Roberson and Mingo Eagles as their assis-
tants.64 Seeing no need to have other elected officers for the African-
American members, the church as a whole continued to meet and
minister as a single congregation.

As the population of Wilmington began to swell over the next few
years, the church continued to grow as well. Soon, the number of African-
American members almost equaled that of the Caucasian members of the
church. In 1851 the African-American members requested that they have
their own Sabbath School.65 This request was granted. Records of the
church indicate the overall membership reached 390 by 1863 with 165 of
the members being of African descent and 225 white members.66

In 1864, the decision was made that the African-American members
of the church would employ their own minister and provide for his salary.
On November 7 of that same year, the African-American members of the
church requested and received permission to separate from the First Bap-
tist Church and construct their own house of worship. This first building
was erected on Walnut Street between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue.
Their first Pastor was an African-American named W.H. Banks. Rev. Banks
served for only a few months before a dispute arose among the members
of the new work and he felt the need to resign. Upon resigning, Rev. Banks
began a new church that grew to become the Ebenezer Baptist Church
that today meets on Princess Place Drive. In need of a pastor, Thomas
Parker, a deacon of the church, was then ordained by the Caucasian con-
gregation of First Baptist Church, and he became the Pastor of the
African-American congregation that went by the name of "African Baptist
Church." After serving as pastor of the congregation for a couple of years,
Rev. Parker became an area missionary and planter of African-American
congregations in New Hanover and Pender counties.

In May of 1867, Edward Eagles was ordained by First Baptist Church to

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

become the pastor of the African Baptist Church.67 Rev. Eagles was part of
the group that originally left First Baptist to form the African Baptist
Church, but he returned to First Baptist during the initial conflict with
their founding pastor. Upon becoming the pastor of the First African Bap-
tist Church, Rev. Eagles led the congregation to build a new building on the
northwest corner of Campbell's Square at Fifth Avenue. The congregation
then changed its name from "African Baptist Church" to "First African Bap-
tist Church." The congregation changed its name again in 1869, when they
deleted the word "African." They now go by the name of First Baptist Mis-
sionary Church to this day, and meet for worship at 520 North Fifth Avenue;
five blocks north of the all-Caucasian First Baptist Church.

Two months after Rev. Battle returned to the Raleigh area, the Wilm-
ington congregation extended an invitation to Rev. A. P. Repiton to re-
turn as their pastor. Upon accepting the invitation, Rev. Repiton served
the congregation for just one year before circumstances precipitated a
major controversy within the church that resulted in his resigning a sec-
ond time. This time there was a great deal of damage inflicted on the
congregation as a whole. Hurt feelings, ignited tempers, stinging re-
marks from the pulpit and the pew were all elements of the developing
church row.

The conflict began when a small group of disgruntled members
began meeting to discuss a way to replace Rev. Repiton as their pastor.
It was not unusual that such discussions would take place because it
was the practice of the church to extend invitations to potential pas-
tors for only one year at a time. This was common for many Baptist
churches in the early nineteenth century. However, Rev. Repiton was
disturbed by what was happening in Wilmington. He felt the clandestine
meetings were instigated by a group of church leaders who were being
fueled by the desires of Dr. James McDaniel who became pastor of the
Wilmington congregation the day following Rev. Repiton's forced res-
ignation.

Dr. McDaniel was an influential leader among North Carolina Bap-
tists, and was certainly respected within the Wilmington Church. Reared
in Fayetteville, James McDaniel was one of the fourteen men who met in
Greenville, North Carolina in 1830, and founded the Baptist State Con-
vention. He then agreed to serve as its first President, a responsibility he
held for the first nineteen years of its existence.68 It was once said of Dr.
McDaniel:

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The finest exhibition of true eloquence ever heard from the
lips of man, was the exordium with which brother McDaniel
introduced the most powerful sermon ever delivered. He
seemed as some seraphic visitant from some celestial sphere.
The logic of his burning eloquence, and the magic of the love-
beams that shone from his radiant presence while dispensing
the word of life was a veritable inspiration.69

The Biblical Recorder described him as, "a vigorous, independent
thinker, decided in his convictions, firm in the defense of the faith once
delivered to the saints, uttering his message with a zeal that knew no lan-
guor, a plainness which always conveyed his meaning, and with a pun-
gency that reached and affected the heart."70

Dr. McDaniel was the founding pastor of the First Baptist Church of
Fayetteville in 1837, while serving as a leader of the Cape Fear Baptist
Association. He would go on to pastor the Fayetteville Church for thirty-
two years with only a short absence between 1844 and 1852 when he
served as Pastor of the Wilmington Church. His close friendship with the
influential Mr. George French and the years he spent in frequent contact
with other leaders of the Wilmington Church allowed Dr. McDaniel the
luxury of a strong voice in the decisions made by the church. He was in
the prime of his ministry at the same time that Wilmington was the
largest city in North Carolina and the Baptist Church that met there was
the largest one in the Cape Fear region. The church's desire to have the
leader of the Baptist State Convention as its Pastor and Dr. McDaniel's
dream of filling an important pulpit seemed to coincide thus rendering
Rev. Repiton as the odd man out, but he did not leave quietly.

The next five months were some of the most tumultuous days in the
life of First Baptist Church. The challenge they faced would determine
how they would manage conflict for years to come. With Rev. Repiton
still in town, but now a member of the Mt. Holly Baptist Church some
thirty miles away, accusations and rumors ran rampant concerning the
way he resigned from the pastorate of the church and negative remarks
he had made about Dr. McDaniel. Finally, on January 27 and February
10, 1845, in two church conferences, major discussions took place con-
cerning the church's future relationship with Rev. A.P. Repiton. Rev. Repi-
ton had been charged with making slanderous statements in the
community concerning the church. The Wilmington Church passed a
resolution that read as follows:

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

Whereas the Rev. A.P. Repiton. . .publicly made declarations im-
pugning the character of this congregation. . .in a way seriously
to affect our moral standing as a Christian body; and Whereas
these and all similar allegations have no foundation in truth;
be it Resolved that the Clerk of the church be instructed to ad-
dress a letter to him. . .calling upon him for retraction in writ-
ing of all statements and allegations made both publicly or
privately, to the detriment of this church, or that he substan-
tiate the same by competent testimony.71

Rev. Repiton denied having made any negative comments concerning
the church or Dr. McDaniel, and requested the opportunity to defend
himself before the congregation. His request was denied on the grounds
that he was no longer a member of the church and several current mem-
bers served as witnesses before the congregation to affirm that they heard
Rev. Repiton make derogatory statements about the church and its cur-
rent Pastor. When several members expressed their dismay at the Mod-
erator's refusal to allow Rev. Repiton to address the congregation for the
purpose of defending himself, they were ruled out of order. A number of
people then abruptly stormed from the Meeting House with shouts of
frustration and unfairness concerning their perception of mistreatment
on the part of the church toward Rev. Repiton. A list was made of those
who conducted themselves in a manner such that it was determined that
they had a "censurable spirit" and they were all excluded from the con-
gregation.

When the smoke from the aforementioned controversy finally cleared,
Rev. Repiton and a small group of devoted followers from the Wilming-
ton Church who felt he had been mistreated began a new church less
than a mile away. Convinced there was a need for a Baptist Church in
Wilmington for people who did not have the financial resources to afford
a pastor, Rev. A. Paul Repiton led a small band of believers to erect a new
house of worship at the corner of Seventh and Orange Street — an ex-
tremely rural part of Wilmington at the time. The sanctuary was dedi-
cated to God during the first worship service on December 12, 1847. Rev.
Repiton gave North Carolina Baptists a glimpse into the genesis of the
new building in a letter to the Biblical Recorder.

Our church was built by general contributions received from
our citizens, and brethren of the Presbyterian, Episcopal and

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Methodist churches, with some aid from our Baptist brethren,
mainly in the country. The building, including belfry and re-
cess for the pulpit, is 58 feet long by 35 feet wide, with a spire
54 feet from the ground, and will seat 400 persons comfort-
ably. We were much gratified at seeing it filled with our friends
and generous contributors (on opening day). We regretted that
some fifty persons were unable to get into the house, and were
compelled to make themselves as comfortable as possible in
the Piazza.72

It was appropriate that pastors from several area churches shared the
pulpit of this new church that was built with an ecumenical effort. Rev.
Repiton preached the inaugural sermon but the aged Rev. Jesse Jennett of
Wilmington's only Methodist Episcopal Church delivered a message on the
afternoon of December 12. The pastors of the Presbyterian and Methodist
Protestant churches cancelled their evening services in order that they may
preach that night at the new Orange Street Baptist Church. The only other
churches in Wilmington at that time were one Catholic congregation, St.
James Episcopal Parish, and the Baptist church on Front Street.

The excitement of the start of this new Baptist work in Wilmington
caused its pastor to express his vision in writing, "Our church, it is be-
lieved, has the prospect, from its auspicious opening, of much useful-
ness."73 The result of his untiring effort, much of which was done without
remuneration, was a church with the reputation for proclaiming the good
news of Jesus Christ with evangelistic fervor, and the ongoing discipleship
of members of the community through the execution of a well-staffed
Sabbath School. However, the edifice that housed the worship services,
meetings and Sabbath School of Orange Street Baptist Church burned
to the ground during the latter days of the Civil War.

Almost twenty years had passed since the internal squabble that led to
Rev. Repiton's departure from First Baptist and starting the Orange Street
Church. While there are no records that indicate a mending of the bro-
kenness created from the strife that was started by presumed meetings of
secrecy to remove Rev. Repiton from the pastorate of First Baptist, a truce
must have been agreed upon between the parties involved. Rather than
rebuilding the Orange Street Baptist Church, Rev. Repiton and the con-
gregation cleared the debris left behind by the fire, sold the lot on which
the building had stood, and contributed the proceeds from the sale of the
lot to the First Baptist Church. The proceeds being used toward the con-

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

struction of the new sanctuary that was being erected at the corner of
Fifth Avenue and Market Street. In addition to this, the majority of the
members of Orange Street Baptist Church moved their membership to
First Baptist, some of whom had been excluded back in the mid- 1840s. As
for Rev. A.P. Repiton's future, he remained in Wilmington until October
1868 when he returned to his home state of Virginia.

During Rev. Repiton's last years in Wilmington he occasionally filled
the pulpit of First Baptist Church when they were without a pastor. He
went to the outskirts of Wilmington and preached to Union and Confed-
erate troops that were encamped nearby, and ministered to the sick and
dying of the city who were scourged with the spread of Yellow Fever in
1862. As a matter of fact, Rev. Repiton was one of the four ministers who
remained in Wilmington, namely he, John Lamb Prichard, one Catholic
Priest and an Episcopalian Rector during the epidemic. At the end of the
fearful calamity he alone of these noble four was alive to comfort those
who mourned for their loved ones who were no more.

Change was the only thing that was constant during the seven years
that Rev. James McDaniel served as pastor of the Wilmington Church.
The seed of Baptist principles that was planted in the early 1800s, and
nourished with prayer, devotion, enthusiasm and struggle was now rooted
in no small commitment to expansion. As one of the largest churches in
the state, the Wilmington congregation now had a visionary pastor who
challenged the church to begin expanding its faith by taking greater risks.
With Rev. McDaniel in the prime of his ministry and serving as a leader
in the Goshen Baptist Association and President of the Baptist State Con-
vention, the Wilmington Church was well represented and respected in
Baptist circles across the south. The Wilmington Church was among the
few churches in the Association that was now meeting for worship each
Sunday morning and had a model Sabbath School. Isham Peterson di-
rected the Sabbath School and was not shy about making appeals to lead-
ers of other churches across the state to begin this vital ministry that
served as a catalyst for discipleship for members of the church, and a
means of educating poor, illiterate members of the community.

In May of 1845, Rev. McDaniel began to exercise his leadership by en-
couraging members of the congregation to step out in faith and use their
God-given gifts in order to expand the Baptist presence in Wilmington.
Polly Moore was one of the members who followed Rev. McDaniel's lead
and asked that she be allowed to begin a satellite Sabbath School that
would meet on the southeastern side of the city for the purpose of teach-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

ing children to read and write, as well as providing spiritual training. Her
request was unanimously granted by the congregation with the under-
standing that she would make regular reports to the Sabbath School Su-
perintendent, Mr. CD. Ellis.74 Ms. Moore took her faith seriously and used
her gifts to provide a model for other Baptist women. She began local
mission work that would educate and inspire Wilmingtonians. Her ac-
tions came as no surprise to the congregation because women played a
vital role in the life of First Baptist from its beginning. Nor was it un-
usual that the congregation required that she report to the male Sabbath
School Superintendent.

Although church institutions ordinarily afforded women no
formal authority, pious women exerted moral influence both in
their homes and in the community. In a society that idealized
quiet domesticity, most purveyors of prescriptive literature
sought neither to recognize nor to encourage women's public
activism.75

First Baptist, however, encouraged women to have a part in the mis-
sion action of the congregation.

Religion was one of the only loopholes that allowed for women to get in-
volved in the public arena. Females were given room to lead other women
and children in prayer meetings, teach Sabbath Schools and take part in
benevolent societies. Through their leadership role in Sabbath Schools,
women were given the satisfaction of serving both God and their commu-
nity while affording themselves access to the public sphere. Women were
also able to found schools, support missionaries, begin orphanages, work-
shops, and to ameliorate the plight of the poor by raising money through
the establishment of benevolent societies.

At a time when America was dominated by male leadership in the ma-
jority of elected public positions, and women were theoretically relegated
to the domestic sphere, it was actually women who had the greatest influ-
ence over the direction of our nation because of their role in molding the
minds, morals and spirits of children. Because the majority of both secu-
lar and religious periodicals were published by men in the 1800s, many of
the public activities of women went unpublished and ignored. However, if
it were not for the faith, hope, commitment, actions, leadership and influ-
ence of women, many churches would never have survived.

From its beginning, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina de-

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

pended on the support of its female membership, though they were usually
in the background. When the convention met in 1831, after only one year
of existence, two women's associations were represented — and each sent
a male delegate because women were not eligible to participate in the con-
vention.76 Still, the influence of women in directing the future of the con-
vention was always present because women and girls predominated as both
teachers and students in North Carolina's earliest Sunday School days.77
There may have been a male in the pulpit, and men in the elected offices
of most churches, but it was women who served as the rudder for the ma-
jority of churches, particularly in the south. First Baptist Church of Wilm-
ington was no exception. An examination of the membership roll of the
white members of First Baptist Church in 1846, indicates that the congre-
gation was made up of thirty-six men and ninety women.

In May of 1845, the decision was made to begin having a worship serv-
ice each Sunday evening at eight o'clock and a mid-week meeting in the
homes of First Baptist members in order to pray together, conduct spiritual
conversations and enjoy the fellowship aspect of being a church family.
This informal meeting became a vital part of the future growth of the con-
gregation as it was used as a means of beginning friendships with people
who were relocating to Wilmington, introducing the gospel to non-believ-
ers, and deepening the spiritual arm of the church. New members were
still received only at the church conferences held on the last Sunday of
each month, but with the new weekly socials being held in the homes of
members the number of new members presented at the conferences
quickly grew.

It was also in 1845 that First Baptist began receiving a free-will offering
each time they met to worship. Any expenses incurred, or mission dollars
that were given to local, associational, or state causes, were paid for by do-
nations received from members of the church up to that point. Beginning
in May of 1845, however, the congregation elected Isham Peterson as its
Treasurer, and A.J. Battle and George R. French as the Finance Committee.
It is no surprise that George French would be a member of this commit-
tee because of his financial standing in the church as well as the commu-
nity. The offering for that year was $272.53 of which $20.17 was used for
local distributions to the poor, $56.65 for contributing to Home Missions
and Education (primarily Wake Forest College), $41.45 for "contingencies,"
and $153.70 to pay the Pastor. The percentage designation of the budget
is not that different from what it is in 2008 when the annual budget ex-
ceeds $2 million.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Designation 1845 2008

Local & Global Missions 29% 16%

Programs & Properties 15% 29%

Staff 56% 55%

The primary difference is the increase in the amount of money needed
to operate the programs of the church and maintain the facilities in 2008,
and what appears to be a decrease in the support of missions. The facilities
of First Baptist Church have expanded greatly since 1845, and now include
a downtown campus that contains a worship center, education building,
administration building, the Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center, and a his-
toric home that is used as space for Sunday School classes. The church also
has an Activities Center situated on eight acres located four miles from
downtown. The Activities Center houses offices, meeting rooms, game
rooms, a gymnasium, classrooms for a week-day pre-school, and garage
and athletic fields. These facilities are used as local ministry centers and
outposts for mission activities provided to the community. In addition to
this, First Baptist now receives eight special offerings annually for mission
work in the community, across the state and around the world. These of-
ferings are not a part of the general budget of the church therefore, with
the increase in operating expenses of the church also comes an expansion
of the mission work as well.

The year 1845 was not only significant for First Baptist, but it was also
important to the life of the Southern Baptist Convention. "On May 8, 1845,
in Augusta, Georgia, three hundred and twenty-eight men from eight
States and the District of Columbia met and organized the Southern Bap-
tist Convention."78 This new convention would be a mission delivery system
organized to assist Baptist churches located in southern states in doing
mission work within the United States and abroad. There were two Mis-
sion Boards, one located in Richmond, Virginia for Foreign Missions and
the Home Mission Board was stationed in Marion, Alabama but later relo-
cated to Atlanta. First Baptist Church of Wilmington sent Rev. James Mc-
Daniel and "Brother Havens" to this initial meeting. The church continued
being a contributing member of the convention by providing financial sup-
port, messengers to convention meetings, members who served as mis-
sionaries and leaders of the convention, and First Baptist served as host of
the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1897.

Steady progress continued for the Baptists of Wilmington under the
leadership of Rev. McDaniel. One of the emphases he placed upon the con-

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

gregation was the importance of maintaining the conduct of a committed
Christian in all areas of life and at all times. To deviate from such behavior
carried the possibility of being expelled from the fellowship of the church.
A public hearing was held at the monthly business conference of the church
whenever a charge of misconduct was brought against a member of the
congregation. After carefully hearing the evidence that was presented, the
congregation was faced with the responsibility of deciding whether fellow-
ship should be withdrawn from the member. Upon expulsion from the con-
gregation for a designated period of time, members who had shown
remorse for their actions and repented of their shortcoming could make a
public apology to the church for their behavior; ask for forgiveness from the
congregation and request that they be accepted back into the good graces
of the church.

Whenever a spirited disagreement arose between two members of the
congregation, the matter was dealt with by the church, with the hope of
finding an agreement between the members. If the matter could not be re-
solved, then both members were excluded from the church until they could
come to an agreement. This was such an important part of the ministry of
Rev. James McDaniel that a Vigilance Committee was formed during his
time as pastor of the congregation and matters of conduct were handled at
almost every monthly business conference. In later years this committee
became known as the "Standing Committee," and still, later, it was re-
named the "Discipline Committee" before being dissolved in 1918.

The responsibility of the standing committee was to discipline mem-
bers whose behavior was less than what was expected by the church. All
members were expected to be present at each meeting of the church un-
less they were otherwise prohibited from doing so as a result of illness or
being out of town. Failure to do so could result in expulsion from the con-
gregation. On one occasion the following notes appeared in the minutes of
the church:

Resolved that the members of the church be cited to attend here
next Sabbath morning to signify their desire or intention to con-
tinue their membership, and that on failing to do so either pres-
ent, or represented by letter or proxy, their names to be erased
from the church membership.79

An examination of the church records indicate the following charges
were preferred by this committee against various members: "intemper-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

ance," "unchristian conduct," "immoral conduct," "breaking the Sabbath,"
"drunkenness," "irregularities," "profane language," "hypocritical," "ha-
bitual neglect of the duties of the church," "keeping disorderly house,"
"critical intercourse with a female of bad character," "failure to pay church
dues," "absence from church meetings," "general neglect of duty," "conduct
unbecoming of a Christian," and a woman was expelled for "being sorry" in
one instance. The outcome of these and other charges was reported as,
"apologies accepted; forgiven and restored," "explanation accepted; excused
and restored to full fellowship," "church freely forgave and agreed to re-
tain them." There were, however situations whereby the committee ren-
dered the decision to "excommunicate" or "expel."

Even with constant matters of discipline being brought before the
church, and sometimes the situations involved cases of members making
degrading remarks about the pastor, the following remark is noted in the
1847 minutes of the church: "Have we not great cause brethren to bless
God for the measure of peace and unanimity that abounds amongst us?"80

The singing of hymns had been an important part of each gathering of
the church from its earliest days but to this point the singing was always
done a cappella. It is interesting to note that in most cases it was the pas-
tor who led the singing and therefore the church decided in 1839, that
"hymns must be liked in all cases by the pastor."81 The congregation pur-
chased hymnals in 1844, and approved the "gallery," or balcony area as the
place for singers to lead in worship though an official "choir" was not yet
established.

In February of 1850, the Wilmington Church expanded its ministry
through music with the addition of its first organ, though Brother CD.
Ellis was vehemently opposed to the action. After careful consideration of
the matter, and encouragement from Rev. McDaniel, the congregation
agreed to allow Brother D. DuPre to give an organ to the church with all
the members in full agreement, with the exception of Mr. Ellis.82 The
wounded Brother Ellis continued as a member of the congregation for
years to come, but Rev. McDaniel's days as pastor of the church were num-
bered.

As had been the custom from its earliest days, the church was contin-
uing the practice of extending a "call" to its pastor for only a year at the
time. In December of 1850, the church invited Rev. McDaniel for the sixth
consecutive year to remain as pastor of the congregation. His answer was
slow in coming this time as Rev. McDaniel told them he would have to pray
about it, but that he would fill the pulpit until he made his decision. Three

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

months later he accepted the "call" but in doing so he informed the church
that he needed them to increase his salary by fifty dollars which would
bring it to eight hundred- fifty dollars, and that he could no longer continue
visiting members except when they are extremely sick or absent from serv-
ices, because of his increased responsibilities of directing a growing con-
gregation. This did not sit well with some of the members, especially
Brother CD. Ellis who had a good deal of influence within the congrega-
tion and the city of Wilmington at the time.

Charles Denison Ellis was born in Vermont, in 1798, but relocated to
Wilmington around 1840, after spending his early years as a sea captain.
Captain Ellis was one of the most enterprising men in Wilmington who
used his maritime experience and strong personality to affect most people
who came his way. He married a local girl named Sarah Shepard and joined
First Baptist Church in 1842. Charles Ellis gave of himself with character-
istic earnestness and devotion to the expansion and increase of the church.
He was elected as a deacon because of his love for the members and his
commitment to the establishment of Sabbath Schools around the city. In
his obituary the Wilmington Weekly Star wrote of Mr. Ellis:

Captain Ellis would have been a marked man in any commu-
nity. His body was large, his spirit was bold, his will was strong,
and his whole bearing was resolute and determined. He was the
very soul of honor, and sometimes candid almost to bluntness,
and yet he was simple-hearted as a child and gentle as a woman
to all in distress. His convictions were strong and his feelings
intense, but good sense so dominated the man that he was
widely known and consulted as a wise and safe counselor.83

It is easy to see why this gentleman of such high integrity would be so
respected within the church and community in which he lived.

Charles Ellis was not only a leader in the First Baptist Church of Wilm-
ington, but he also flexed his muscles within the mission causes of the
Goshen and Union Baptist Associations to which the Wilmington Church
belonged. As a member of the Executive Committee of the church and the
association, Mr. Ellis encouraged an aggressive missionary effort by all Bap-
tists.

Having followed the sea for many years, Charles Ellis had a natural in-
terest in sailors and therefore began the Seaman's Friend Society in Wilm-
ington by purchasing its first house and directing its ministry. He was also

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

a member of Wilmington's City Council, and for many years served as Chief
of the Fire Department. Professionally, Mr. Ellis was a business partner with
his good friend and fellow church member, B.F. Mitchell. These two men,
along with George R. French, were the most important members of First
Baptist Church and were responsible for its survival, strength, vitality and
influence in its earliest days. The names of these three men appear through-
out the records of the church froml830 until 1890, and the names of their
children appear after that. These three, along with Rev. John Lamb Prichard
led the way in the planning, purchase and building of the sanctuary that
First Baptist Church worships in today. These three laymen served as the
foundation for much of what First Baptist Church has become.

When Charles Ellis retired from his partnership in the business of
Ellis and Mitchell in 1866, he moved to Chowan County, North Car-
olina, where he engaged in farming. In addition to planting crops for
harvesting, Mr. Ellis also planted spiritual seeds of evangelism in
hopes of harvesting new believers. He built a small chapel on his land
where he gathered children for a Sabbath school and had ministers
from various Christian denominations occupy the pulpit from month
to month. Though he had been gone from Wilmington for almost
twenty years, when Charles Ellis died on July 4, 1885, his body was
returned to Wilmington where the funeral was conducted in the First
Baptist Church. Mr. Ellis was buried in Oakdale Cemetery.84

Benjamin F. Mitchell was born in Maine, in 1812, and came south to
Wilmington when he was eighteen years old.85 He soon joined what was
then called Front Street Baptist Church and like his good friends George
French and Charles Ellis, Mitchell met a young Wilmington girl named
Sarah (Swann) and married her. Mr. Mitchell initially engaged in a milling
business by himself before joining with Captain CD. Ellis to form Ellis &
Mitchell. Upon the retirement of Mr. Ellis the business became known as
B.F. Mitchell & Son. Benjamin Mitchell was a deacon of First Baptist
Church but also served in almost every leadership capacity the church had.
His opinion was sought and heard whenever an important decision of the
church was made. Upon his death in June of 1894, Mr. B.F. Mitchell had
lived for eighty-two years, sixty-two of them as a member of First Bap-
tist. His funeral was conducted in the First Baptist Church. Like Captain
Ellis and George French, Benjamin Mitchell was also buried in Oakdale
Cemetery.

By the end of 1850, Charles Ellis had garnered support for some of his

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

concerns about pastor James McDaniel. The church was growing in num-
ber and activities but Mr. Ellis was concerned that the pastor was abusing
his authority. He did not appreciate the way Rev. McDaniel was so slow to
decide if he would continue to serve the congregation when they had ex-
tended their call in December, 1849. There was also a feeling of discontent
when Rev. McDaniel dictated how much money he would be paid and that
he would curtail some of the ministry activities he had previously prac-
ticed. Brother McDaniel had built a house that he was using as a school by
this time as well, and there were some concerns that the school was get-
ting more of his attention than the congregation. Tension continued to
rise over the next few months and open discussions concerning the effec-
tiveness, or ineffectiveness of the pastor began to take place each time the
church met for its monthly business conferences.

The good news of 1851 was that the church began a "Juvenile Mission-
ary Society" for young people to be involved in mission activities and they
were represented at the annual meetings of the Baptist State Convention
and Southern Baptist Convention that year. There was no expense incurred
by the congregation to have the Juvenile Missionary Society present for
the State Convention meeting because the Wilmington Baptist Church
hosted the meeting on October 16 of that year. In extending an invitation
to all North Carolina Baptists, the Biblical Recorder reported, 'The Presi-
dent and Directors of the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail Road Company have
resolved to give return tickets to those who may come on their road to at-
tend the Convention."86 They went on to say, "If the Cape Fear River be in
such a state as will admit steamers to pass, a steamer will leave Fayetteville
at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning, October 15, and arrive in the evening at
Wilmington."87 It is not surprising that the Host Committee for the church
included George R. French, Charles D. Ellis and Benjamin F. Mitchell.

The bad news of 1851 was that Rev. James McDaniel was on his way out.
In a church conference held in November, it was moved and carried that,
"all the members of the church have liberty to express their concerns fully
in relation to the present difficulty that exists in the church provided it is'
done in an orderly manner and with respectful language."88 After a great
deal of discussion, Rev. McDaniel resigned in December amidst charges
that he had mishandled funds and was too autocratic. In January of 1852
CD. Ellis made the motion that the organ which Rev. McDaniel insisted the
church have installed be removed from the church house and the motion
failed. A year later, Brother Ellis got his wish when the congregation voted
to have the organ removed from the church. This time all the members,

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

with the exception of Mr. Daniel DuPre, who gave the organ to the church
and Rev. James McDaniel, agreed with Mr. Ellis.

After serving the Wilmington congregation for seven years, Rev. James
McDaniel resigned in order to return to the First Baptist Church in Fayet-
teville where he would continue to serve as Pastor until his retirement.
One of the last things he did before his death on Christmas Day, 1869, was
make a trip to Wilmington, in order to see the beautiful sanctuary erected
by the First Baptist Church on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market
Street. It is written that upon seeing the new building "he was much grat-
ified at the good fortune of the church in being able to provide such a house
in which to worship its great God."89

Upon accepting the resignation of Rev. McDaniel, the church appointed
George French, Charles Ellis, Daniel DuPre and B.F. Mitchell as the com-
mittee charged with the responsibility of finding a new pastor. The first
name presented by George French was Rev. John Lamb Prichard, a pastor
from Danville, Virginia who had led in a revival at the Wilmington church
in the spring of 1849. When the motion was made that Rev. Prichard be in-
vited to be their next pastor, a vote was taken. However, Rev. Prichard failed
to be called with only 13 members voting for him, and 29 voting against.
While he was not called to pastor the Wilmington church at that time, Rev.
Prichard provides a glimpse into his life, and the city of Wilmington in the
following excerpts from two letters to his wife. The first is dated April 25,
1849 and the second is dated May 8, 1849.

I am now in Wilmington visiting with Brother McDaniel.
Brother McDaniel has invited me to stay with him and hold a
protracted meeting. I have concluded to do so. I shall be absent
until the last of May. I expect to be all the time engaged in
preaching. I trust that this decision will meet with your appro-
bation, and that of my brethren.90

Wilmington is a much larger place than I expected; over
eight thousand inhabitants. It has much commercial impor-
tance. You can have no idea of the quantity of lumber, tar, tur-
pentine, etc... that find a market here. Shipping from various
parts of the world, may be seen here. In every direction, you see
turpentine distilleries, steam, saw and grist mills, rice mills, etc.
. . .1 have preached several times since I have been here, and ex-
pect to preach tonight, and many more times. Time moves
slowly. It seems I have been absent a long time. But I will soon

A Heritage of Hope through Fragile Beginnings

fly off, if I can only be usefully employed. We expect to start to
Charleston, Monday week.91

Church records do not indicate the reason for their resistance to calling
Rev. Prichard, but Wilmington's First Baptist Church called Rev. WH. Jordan
to be their pastor in June of 1852.92 It was agreed that his salary would be one
thousand dollars. Rev. Jordan was a native of Bertie County, North Carolina
and educated at Chapel Hill.93 He was forty-nine years old when he came to
pastor the Wilmington Church having already served churches in Raleigh
and Warrenton. Rev. Jordan arrived in Wilmington with the reputation for
being an eloquent speaker whose articulation was seldom matched.

In addition to his ability to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Rev. Jor-
dan was a man whose name was a household word among North Carolina
Baptists. For many years he served as the corresponding secretary of the
Baptist State Convention, was agent for Wake Forest College on two occa-
sions, and for several years served as a trustee of Wake Forest providing
generous financial support and leadership during its early years of finan-
cial distress and educational formation.

Rev. Jordan referred to himself as a "high-church Baptist" who had a fire
for evangelism.94 Jordan's zeal for evangelism is evidenced by the fact that
he preached his first sermon less than one month after professing his hope
in Christ at the age of twenty. According to the Biblical Recorder, his first
series of sermons sent forth a great revival that spread to several sur-
rounding counties and resulted in the conversion of better than two thou-
sand souls.95 Rev. Jordan was respected among all who knew him for "his
stainless purity, his shining character as a Christian, his devout and hum-
ble piety, his unswerving loyalty to truth and to God, as well as for his splen-
did talents and attainments as a preacher."96

Rev. Jordan provided a sense of stability for the Wilmington Church
while filling its pulpit. It was during his pastorate that the congregation
designated Thursdays of each week as a day of fasting and prayer by all the
members. The church also expanded its financial support for mission
causes by leading all other churches in the state. By 1854, the church began
having a choir to lead the singing in each worship service and purchased
new hymnals to be used by the choir. When news of the choir traveled up
the Cape Fear River to Fayetteville, former pastor Rev. James McDaniel
once again entered the story of Wilmington's First Baptist Church.

Rev. McDaniel assumed the church was receiving strong financial sup-
port from its members so he sent a letter informing its leaders that the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington Church owed him in excess of two hundred seventy-five dol-
lars for payment of a portion of his salary they had failed to pay when he
served as their pastor, interest on the salary, rent for using his school house
for Sabbath School classes and reimbursement for the purchase of an organ
for the church. After meeting every other week for three months, the
church determined that they would pay Rev. McDaniel two hundred dollars
for the salary he claimed to be owed, the interest on the salary, and for the
use of his school house. As for the cost of the organ, the church leaders
understood Rev. McDaniel wanted to provide it as a gift to the Music Min-
istry and they received it as such.97

Upon paying Rev. McDaniel, the church immediately added a new build-
ing on the Baptist Hill property that was used to house the Sabbath School
classes and no longer used the former pastor's building. Rev. Jordan closed
his ministry as pastor of the church shortly thereafter by resigning in Sep-
tember, 1855. In February of the following year, the notable pastorate of
Rev. John Lamb Pritchard began.

First Baptist Church leaned not on its own understanding but its hope
in Jesus Christ during the internal turmoil of its fragile genesis. The small
band of approximately twenty believers not only survived the challenges of
early nineteenth century Wilmington but flourished amidst the growth of
the city. Strong lay leadership was evident in the years prior to the church
calling its first pastor. The commitment of members like George French,
Benjamin Mitchell, CD. Ellis, James Bryan, and Polly Moore saw the
church through its humble beginnings. The financial leadership of Mr.
French was matched by the devotion of James Bryan and Polly Moore to di-
recting a Sabbath School ministry that touched residents across Wilming-
ton, regardless of race. The birth of the "colored congregation," led by A.J.
Battle, proved to be a witness that manifested itself in a missionary move-
ment to proactively start new churches, not just have them begin as a re-
action to church conflict. Like first-century Christians, Wilmington's
earliest Baptists met in one another's homes for prayer and fellowship as
they sought God's direction for their future. The support of mission causes
that marked its first meetings would continue being a defining part of the
fledgling Baptist fellowship. After almost fifty years of meeting in a clap
board house on Front Street, Wilmington's first Baptists were hopeful they
could build a new house of worship to the glory of God.

CHAPTER TWO

A Heritage of Hope

through Death

and Celebration

From September of 1855, until the end of the year, the pulpit of First
Baptist Church was filled by various pastors from around the south-
eastern corner of North Carolina. One noteworthy pastor who accepted
the invitation to supply the pulpit was former pastor Rev. A. P. Repiton
who was still serving as pastor of Wilmington's Orange Street Baptist
Church — the only other Baptist church in the city. Rev. John Lamb
Prichard filled the pulpit on December 27, preaching in the morning and
the evening. Rev. Prichard was serving as pastor of the Lynchburg Bap-
tist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia at the time, having moved there from
the Danville Baptist Church four years earlier.

This was the same John Lamb Prichard whose name was presented to
the Wilmington Church in 1851, but failed to get a majority of the votes
needed to become its pastor. Once again there were members who were
so impressed with Rev. Prichard that they wanted him to become their
pastor. At a regularly scheduled conference of the church held on De-
cember 31, CD. Ellis made a motion that the First Baptist Church ex-
tends a call to Rev. John Lamb Prichard to become its pastor with a
beginning salary of one thousand four hundred dollars for one year.98
Benjamin F. Mitchell and George R. French spoke on behalf of the motion
and the decision was made to invite Rev. Prichard to move to Wilming-
ton. On January 7, 1856, Rev. Prichard accepted the call and began his du-
ties by leading a prayer service at 8:00 p.m. on January 31 — his first day
in town. He would continue serving the congregation and the city of
Wilmington in what many people see as the most notable pastorate in
the history of First Baptist Church.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

John Lamb Prichard was born in 1811, and reared on a farm in
Pasquotank County, North Carolina. He was the second of six children,
and because his father died when John was only ten years old, he was
forced to take the responsibilities of a man at an early age. His mother was
a devout Christian who encouraged daily praying and reading of the Bible.
Even with such devotion modeled for him, Prichard was twenty years old
before he confessed his faith in Jesus Christ. Upon surrendering to Christ,
John committed his life to serving his savior. As a deacon in the Shiloh
Baptist Church of Camden County, Mr. Prichard often walked several
miles from his home to the church in order to serve the congregation.
This was the training ground by which he would learn to overcome life's
greatest challenges in order to serve Christ and other people.

John Prichard grew up modestly working on the family farm and oc-
casionally building a barn, or house for a neighboring farmer in order to
keep food on the table for his mother and siblings. He enjoyed reading
and desired to further his education but attending college was out of the
question because of family responsibilities and financial challenges. When
North Carolina Baptists opened Wake Forest College in 1834, for the pri-
mary purpose of preparing young men for the ministry, they were in need
of students who had a yearning to learn and sought out young John
Prichard though he did not have the money needed to enroll. When he
was enlisted to begin his studies at Wake Forest it was said of Prichard,
he is "the picture of an earnest young man engaged in the pursuit of
knowledge under the most serious difficulties and embarrassments."99

John Prichard arrived at Wake Forest in the fall of 1835 with little
money but plenty of determination. He borrowed one hundred dollars a
year from a mentoring professor during his first four years of study. When
he was not in class or preparing for one, John was building houses near
the campus in order to pay off his school loans. When he graduated in
1840, he still owed one hundred and sixteen dollars that he would repay
by accepting every preaching opportunity that came his way. Upon re-
flecting on the challenges John Prichard faced during his years at Wake
Forest, one of his closest friends remarked, 'The trials that beset John
during his college days provided wholesale discipline for his years as a
pastor. He learned to endure hardship and face adversity as a follower of
Jesus Christ such that no challenge or sacrifice would deter him."100 His
good friend, Rev. J.D. Hufham said of Prichard, "I have never known an
individual on whom I would more confidently rely, to march up to the
cannon's mouth, if duty should call him to trial."101

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

John Lamb Prichard was ordained in 1842, and became pastor of the
Baptist Church of Danville, Virginia, in March of that year. His reputation
for being fully capable of proclaiming the gospel with intelligence, pas-
sion and authority made him a sought after preacher across North Car-
olina and Virginia. "His preaching was plain, direct and pungent. He
never addressed the imagination or endeavored to please the fancy of his
audience."102 Often times he would preach in the Danville Baptist Church
pulpit on Sunday and in various other churches of all denominations dur-
ing the week. Rev. Prichard credited Samuel Wait, Thomas Meredith,
John Kerr and N.J. Palmer as mentors who guided his decisions and of-
fered him opportunities to grow as a minister.

Like many wives of ministers, Rev. Prichard's wife often took a back-
seat to her husband's ministerial responsibilities. He married Mary B.
Hinton in 1842, but she was seldom with him as he traveled and
preached. Mrs. Prichard was a great source of strength for her husband
and provided a son and daughter for him before dying unexpectedly in
1849. Because of the love, admiration and respect for Rev. Prichard's wife,
it is written that "every store in Danville closed on the day Samuel Wait
conducted the funeral of Mary Hinton Prichard, and it seemed every per-
son in town attended her funeral."103 A year later, on October 30, 1850, he
married Jane Taylor. She was the daughter of Richmond pastor, Dr. James
B. Taylor. Rev. Prichard resigned as pastor of the Danville Church four-
teen months later and accepted the pastorate of Lynchburg Baptist
Church in January of 1852.

The Lynchburg Church had begun a new building that would serve as
their sanctuary but suspended construction when their pastor resigned
in the midst of a controversy. Some of its members were beginning to
fall away from their faith, commitment to the congregation was begin-
ning to wane and the spirit of the church was spiraling downward by the
time Rev. Prichard and his family arrived. His first challenge was to gather
the splintered congregation, which he did. Secondly, he led the congre-
gation to complete their building project and took part in the dedication
of the new sanctuary on May 13, 1853.104 Having united a divided con-
gregation and led them to complete one of the finest houses of worship
in Virginia, John Prichard's reputation for being a gifted pastor spread. It
was said of Rev. Prichard that he cared deeply for his congregation, elo-
quently proclaimed the gospel, and served as a good administrator.

"As a pastor he labored zealously to instruct the ignorant, to reclaim
the wayward, to reform those who had gone far out of the way, and to

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

confirm and comfort such as habitually strove to continue in the right
path. He rebuked with firmness yet with affection, exhorted with earnest-
ness, and reproved with a fearlessness which was characteristic of him-
self." Soon, churches were clamoring for his attention, but none that was
more tailored to his strengths than the First Baptist Church of Wilm-
ington that had voted him down a few years earlier.

Rev. Prichard arrived in Wilmington on January 31, 1856 with a
charge from a few of the leaders of the church to inspire the rest of the
congregation to begin thinking of a new building to house their church
activities. He soon commenced exploring his field of labor and laid the
foundation of his subsequent usefulness by visiting from house to house,
forming new friendships with members of his flock, inquiring as to their
wants and needs, and securing their confidence and affection. He then
went to work guiding the growing congregation to dream about their
future.

They were beginning to out grow the building that had served as their
"Meeting House" since their genesis in 1808. Their city was stretching be-
yond its boundaries with people beginning to build new homes as far
north as Sixteenth Street and the population now numbered almost nine
thousand five hundred. Their pastor had the experience of leading his
previous church to complete a building program which made him all the
more eager to lead the Wilmington congregation to do the same. The
most influential members of the congregation were enjoying the benefits
of an expanding economy and trusted that God had brought their church
and Rev. Pritchard together at the perfect time to enlarge the Baptist foot-
print and influence in North Carolina's largest city.

Rev. Pritchard was preaching each Sunday morning and evening,
teaching Sabbath School classes that met in the homes of church mem-
bers almost every morning of the week, and traveling across eastern
North Carolina preaching in other churches practically every night. He
had accepted a leadership role with the Baptist State Convention and was
also promoting Wake Forest College to all young men who had a desire
to further their education. The energy level could not have been higher
for the new forty-five year old pastor of one of the largest Baptist churches
in North Carolina when tragedy struck. Rev. Prichard's four year-old son,
James Taylor ("Jemmie") Prichard grew sick with a high fever in early
August and died on the fifth day of the month. Baptists across the state
mourned the death of young master Prichard, whose body was laid to rest
in Oakdale Cemetery in a grave marked by an engraved stone "erected by

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

the Sabbath School of Front Street Baptist Church."105 Dr. Prichard
wrote, "Our sweet little Jemmie is buried in brother French's lot in the
cemetery. His coffin is enclosed in a strong box, with reference to having
it moved to my own ground after awhile." Jemmie Prichard's lifeless body
was moved a few yards away and reburied in a grave purchased by Dr. and
Mrs. Prichard. It was not unusual for the grieving parents to visit the
cemetery on a daily basis.

One month later, at the conclusion of an evening prayer meeting in
September of 1856, a committee consisting of Rev. Prichard, Charles
Ellis, George French, Benjamin Mitchell, John A. Parker, William Larkins
and B.A. Hallett was appointed to study the possibility of building a new
church.106 After three months of meeting with the committee and ob-
serving the leadership of Rev. Prichard, a new enthusiasm like the church
had never before experienced began to permeate the entire congregation.
When the December business conference arrived and the membership
was considering extending the call to Rev. Prichard for another year,
Charles Ellis made a motion that the church dismiss with the long-stand-
ing policy of calling a pastor on an annual basis and let the most recent
"call" of John Lamb Prichard be made permanent "so long as he and the
church should find it mutually agreeable."107 The motion passed unani-
mously but little did the pastor, or the congregation, know that this would
indeed be the last call of Rev. Prichard before he would be called home to
heaven where he would spend eternity with God.

As a member of the building committee and having just had his last
motion unanimously accepted, Charles Ellis brought another important
motion at the first regularly scheduled conference of the church in 1857.
"Brother Ellis moved that we build a new church 60 by 80 feet within
two years." 108 The motion was tabled for one month in order to give the
congregation time to think about what was being proposed. An amended
motion striking the size of the new building went forward when the
church gathered in February and it passed.109 A month later there was
more discussion concerning the new building. Location was the issue at
hand. The location of the existing building could not have been better. It
was only two blocks from the busy port of the Cape Fear River and being
perched on one of the few hills in the entire city made "Baptist Hill" a
prime spot for a new "house of worship."

Sailors navigating the river could easily spot a new building with a
tall steeple standing watch over the city. The bustling business district
was only two blocks northward of the existing building that sat under the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

shade of the century-old Live Oak trees that lined Front Street. But, it
was determined that the lot was too small for the dream of the growing
congregation which was evidenced by the twenty-one to three vote to find
a more suitable location.110 A new committee was then appointed to seek
out a piece of property that would serve as the new home of Wilming-
ton's first Baptists. Again, the congregation would turn to George French
for such an important duty. Joining him on the committee were Ben-
jamin Mitchell, and the trusted B.A. Hallett and Alfred Alderman.111

The church turned their interest to local mission projects with the
property committee now in place and going about their work. Charles
Ellis pointed out that there were a number of children in the city who
were in need of clothing. Some of these children were attending the Sab-
bath Schools the church was operating for the purpose of teaching chil-
dren to read and write, as well as providing lessons from the Bible. The
congregation took immediate action when it became informed of the
need at hand by receiving a special offering to purchase clothing for some
of the children and material to make clothing for others.

The congregation had a heart for missions from its earliest days and
continued the practice of meeting the physical and spiritual needs of
members of the surrounding city as well as taking part in the partner-
ship mission activities of the association, state convention and Southern
Baptist Convention. An example of their involvement with the South-
ern Baptist Convention occurred in 1854, when they gave twenty-five
dollars to the Baltimore Baptist Convention in order to help them build
a new mission church in New Orleans. At a time when they were begin-
ning to dream of building their own new sanctuary that would cost far
more money than what they had, the Wilmington Church was giving
what they could to the cause of expanding Baptist churches across the
nation.

The next regularly scheduled conference of the church was held on
January 18, 1858, and it was at this meeting that George French brought
a motion that the Church purchases "the lot consisting of one hundred
twenty feet along Market Street and one hundred sixty-five feet on Fifth
Street on which to erect a new building."112 The motion was tabled to
give members time to think about their decision and to visit the piece of
property. The next night the congregation gathered for a called meeting
and agreed to go forward with the recommendation of the committee
chaired by Mr. French as long as the cost of the lot did not exceed four
thousand dollars. George French, Benjamin Mitchell and Charles Ellis

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

were then given the charge to negotiate the purchase and explore ways
to pay for the lot if the church's offer was accepted.113

The church had grown to one hundred eighty-eight members by this
point but a revival meeting that would result in the addition of better
than one hundred new members was on the near horizon. The revival
began in early April, with nightly preaching services and daily sunrise
and noontime prayer meetings. By the end of May, the membership had
swollen to two hundred forty-four causing Rev. Prichard to record in his
diary, "Religion was the most prominent topic of conversation among all
classes of people across the city."114 He wrote in a letter to his friend James
McDaniel who was pastor of the Fayetteville Church at the time, "Up to
this time, I have received by experience 23, restored 3, and many more are
expected yet to join. I expect to baptize some 19 or 20 tomorrow."115

The Biblical Recorder carried a letter from Rev. James McDaniel, who
traveled from Fayetteville to Wilmington to take part in the preaching
duties during the spiritual awakening, after receiving Rev. Prichard's
note. Rev. McDaniel wrote:

I have just returned from Wilmington, where I labored in the
revival until my voice failed, so that I could preach no longer.
Up to last Sabbath, brother Repiton had received 34 and there
is also a great work going on in brother Prichard's church. The
work is going on prosperously. On the afternoon of my last day
in Wilmington we baptized 22, in the midst of an immense
concourse of people. When the hour for the baptism had ar-
rived, the ministers met the candidates, and a goodly number
of the members of the church, at a house some distance from
the place where the baptism was to be performed. A proces-
sion was there formed — brother Repiton in his baptismal dress
was in front, next to him walked side by side brother Prichard,
pastor of the first church, and myself — next followed the can-
didates, and next to them the members of the church. As the
procession descended along the street to the river, they sung
that beautiful hymn — "Children of the heavenly King, As ye
journey, sweetly sing."116

The revival provided a religious awakening for all of Wilmington. It
was during this time that Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church was
organized and construction began on their building that stands on the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

corner of Market and Sixth streets. Presbyterians in the Cape Fear region
also experienced a vast increase in membership so they formed a new
congregation and constructed a building for the believers who assemble
under the banner of Chestnut Street Presbyterian Church. First Presby-
terian Church also erected a new sanctuary on Third Street under the
supervision of James Walker who would later have a hospital built in his
name. The Baptists were more deliberate than their Lutheran and Pres-
byterian brothers and sisters which resulted in years of heartache, strug-
gle and determination before they would worship in their new building
that would eventually become a Wilmington landmark.

The offer to purchase the lot on the northwest corner of Market Street
and Fifth Street from John J. Conolley for four thousand dollars was five
hundred dollars shy of what Mr. Conolley thought he needed for the sale
of this piece of property that bordered his home, but Mr. Conolley donated
five hundred dollars toward the purchase of the lot when presented with
the church's intent for the property. On May 19, 1858, the deed for the lot
where First Baptist Church worships today was signed over from John J.
Conolley to George R. French, Benjamin F. Mitchell, Charles D. Ellis, R.E.
Brickhouse, William Larkins, B.A. Hallett, and James Stokley — the seven
trustees of the church.117 Six months later, a building committee consist-
ing of Rev. John Lamb Prichard, George French, Benjamin Mitchell,
Charles Ellis, John Parker, J.M. Stevenson, B.A. Hallett, James Stokley,
E.H. Ramsey, L.B. Huggins, William Larkins and Alfred Alderman was ap-
pointed to take into consideration the erection of a new house of wor-
ship.118 From this point forward the church began to go by the name of
"First Baptist Church" rather than "Front Street Baptist Church."

In December, a sub-committee of John Prichard and George French
was asked to visit other outstanding churches to secure information and
suggestions about erecting church buildings. The early months of 1859
found the pastor and the foremost member of the congregation traveling
between Wilmington and Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, and
Philadelphia before returning to the congregation in April, with the rec-
ommendation that the church secure the services of Samuel Sloan, a
Philadelphia Architect, to design a building that would resemble the Fred-
ericksburg Baptist Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia.119 The model fi-
nally decided upon was Early English Gothic with two towers, a high
tower on one side of the front of the building and a lower tower on the
other. Though Mr. French and Rev. Prichard may have liked the look of
the Fredericksburg Church, constructed around 1855, Samuel Sloan

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

must have had another idea that was more appealing to the leaders of the
Wilmington church because the finished product holds little resemblance
to the interior or exterior of the Fredericksburg Baptist Church.

Back home in Wilmington, the decision was made to begin receiving
financial pledges from members of the congregation to build their new
house of worship. Dr. Prichard recorded in February of 1859, that pledges
totaled ten thousand dollars at the end of the first day.120 A public docu-
ment was presented that read:

We the subscribers promise to pay to the trustees of the First
Baptist Church of Wilmington, N.C., the amounts placed op-
posite our names for the purpose of paying for a lot, corner of
Market and Fifth Street, and the erection of a church thereon
to be paid in installments of one-eighth every ninety days.121

At this point, the test of faith and vision truly began. It was a gargan-
tuan task in the face of the impending crisis of a civil war, especially with
a limited membership to build a house of worship that was large and com-
modious enough. The innate faith of the pastor and the invulnerable
spirit of the two hundred forty-two members should forever remain as a
pillar of strength to all who serve as members of this congregation. "We
glibly sing, Taith of our Fathers, Holy faith;' these forefathers of ours
practiced such faith."122

In May of 1859, at a called conference of the church, the Building
Committee that consisted of Rev. Prichard, George French, Benjamin
Mitchell, Charles Ellis, John Parker, and J.M. Stevenson brought the fol-
lowing motion that was unanimously approved:

That the audience room to be 59 or 60 by 71 feet to seat at least
600 persons — the galleries should seat 200 persons — there
should be 4 aisles — no basement, but a lecture room in the
rear; one story high; 50 x 37 with two rooms in the rear 18
feet. The style to be Early English Gothic with two towers, a
high and a lower one — Architect will give us plans, specifica-
tions, making drawing and will aid throughout its construc-
tion by making our purchases at a cost of $320. 123

The Architect who was chosen to design the new building was Samuel
Sloan, one of the leading Philadelphia-based architects of the mid-nine-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

teenth century. He was characterized as being "brash, opportunistic, in-
ventive, a learner and a driving worker who was hungry for success and
who had throughout his life, an abiding belief in America's destiny."124
Sloan listed himself as a carpenter, until his master design work began to
be recognized around Philadelphia in the early 1850s, and eventually be-
came popular enough to be printed in the publications of architect journals.
Though he was particularly known for his design of schools and hospitals
for the insane, Samuel Sloan also had a reputation for being a creative de-
signer of churches. In addition to drawing the plans for Wilmington's first
Baptists, Mr. Sloan designed the First Presbyterian Church on Third Street
that was dedicated on April 13, 1861, the day of the surrender of Fort
Sumter, South Carolina. That building was destroyed by fire in 1925. 125

After designing Wilmington's First Baptist Church and the First Bap-
tist Church of Raleigh, Sloan's popularity grew in North Carolina. He
would go on to design the Western State Hospital for the Insane which is
in Morganton and today is known as Broughton Hospital. He also de-
signed the Governor's Mansion in Raleigh prior to his death in 1884.

The estimated cost of the new Baptist Church was twenty thousand
five hundred ninety-two dollars.126 Recognizing that this would be an ex-
pensive undertaking for the congregation, the church made the decision
to send Rev. Prichard on a month-long trip for the purpose of sharing
the dream of the Wilmington congregation with other churches that may
be willing to contribute toward the cost of erecting the new building.

One of the pastor's closest friends wrote the following concerning this
adventure:

This new undertaking illustrates the character of the man. It
was of sufficient magnitude to discourage one who had less
earnestness and faith. The requisite amount of funds could not
be raised in Wilmington, and the slow and tedious process of
soliciting aid from abroad must be resorted to. This part of the
labor the pastor must perform. He encountered indifference
or opposition at home. Much more must be expected in com-
munities that had no local interest in the enterprise. His pas-
toral labors were heavy, and to these must be added the task of
supervising the work as it progressed, and of traveling over the
state to collect money. The danger of failure on the one hand
and the magnitude of the work on the other, might well have
made him shrink back and wait for a more convenient season.

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

But, he neither gave up the scheme, nor did he ever hesitate.
The house was needed. It was to be built for God, and God
would provide the means. So he reasoned and so he acted; and
subsequent events have shown that he was right.127

The first journey of solicitation realized almost eight hundred fifty
dollars in cash and another four hundred twenty-two dollars in pledges.
The Chowan Association was a fertile area for receiving pledges because
of the past relationships Rev. Prichard had with the people from his home
county, but he never took credit for any success he had. "I am about to
start once more to solicit aid to build a house for the Lord. 0 Lord, the
gold and silver and the hearts of men are thine. Thou canst dispose them
alright. Help me for Jesus' sake to succeed this day."128 An example of the
letters Rev. Prichard sent to area associations preparing them for the vis-
its he would eventually make in hopes of receiving funding for the new
building was printed in the Biblical Recorder (see Appendix Two).

By November, of 1860, almost twenty thousand dollars had been com-
mitted to the Building Fund for the new venture and better than eleven
thousand dollars had been given and disbursed for the edifice that was
slowly emerging from the sandy soil of Wilmington. No documentation
could be found as to the day work began on the new building, but in the
fall of 1859, a committee was formed for the purpose of collecting stone
ballast and hauling it to the lot at Market and Fifth Street. These large
rocks came to Wilmington in the bottom of cargo ships to provide balance
for the sailing vessels that entered the port of Wilmington. The founda-
tion of the new building would be made of these rocks that can be seen
in the basement of the church today. The following excerpts from the
diary of Rev. John Lamb Prichard provide a glimpse into the progression
of the project that would take almost ten years to complete.

May 4, 1860 — "Walked to the church. The workmen are laying
brick. The walls are rising. Yet I hope to see them rise."129

July 20, 1860 — "Went to the church. Saw the door sills just as
they arrived in the steamer, Parkersburg. 'I delight in the
stones thereof.' Psalm 104:14."130

July 21, 1860 — "They have raised the window frames on the
west side of the church. I was so glad to see it."131

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

September 15, 1860 — "Late in the afternoon I walked again to
the church. They have just commenced the vestibule wall. The
outer walls are up now to the height of the gallery, and soon
the gallery will be raised. 0 Lord help us to build and pay for
this house and give it and ourselves to Thee forever."132

November 15, 1860 — "Went to the new church. It has grown
some. But 0, 1 feel so sad at the thought of the troublous (sic)
times. Lord, shall the work cease? 0, let it not, I pray Thee! I
feel profoundly the importance of the crisis in political mat-
ters. 0 God forsake us not. Give us men for the times."133

December 21, 1860 — "Walked 'round by the church. At work
on the west side, turning arches over the windows. Heard can-
non firing at the news of the secession of South Carolina."134

February 1, 1861 — "I enter today on my sixth year as pastor in
this place. How many more shall I be here? Lord, help me to
be faithful more than ever. Went to see brother Harry, (an aged
colored member) he sleeps sweetly in death."135

April 13, 1861 — "Fort Sumter bombed all night! The windows
on towers of our church were raised today. I am so glad."136

April 15, 1861 — "Lincoln's proclamation received, saying he
would order out 75,000 men to take the forts. Greatest excite-
ment on the streets.137

April 22, 1861 — "Went on the roof of our new church.'

'138

June 11, 1861 — "Walked to the church. Front gable nearly
done. Lord, I thank Thee for this and will trust Thee for the
rest of my life."139

By July, 1861, the Civil War had begun in earnest with the first battle
of Bull Run, in Virginia. Men were beginning to leave Wilmington to fight
for their beloved southern culture. It was a war that would cost America
the lives of some of its greatest leaders. Families were divided as was the
nation. Brothers fought against brothers in a war that would create

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

wounds and scars that continue to fester from time to time. The thought
of many Southerners was that the war would end with the swift defeat of
their brothers from the north, but they were sadly mistaken. Four years
later only a remnant of southern pride remained, the economy was in
shambles, few families remained that had not grieved the death of a loved
one, and what was a fertile farmland four years earlier had become a
wasteland littered with the charred remains of defeat.

Wilmington's First Baptist Church was not immune to the ripple ef-
fects of war as their dream of a new house of worship began to wane with
each passing day of the war. The Union blockades that prevented Con-
federate war ships from entering and exiting port cities in the south made
it difficult for badly needed building supplies to make it up the Cape Fear
River. Even if the supplies were readily available the church could not af-
ford to purchase them, and with the call for more men to join the mili-
tary forces the labor pool dried up. The written words of Rev. Prichard
would prove to be prophetic when on July 30, 1861 he wrote, "Went to the
new church — upon the tower. The doors and windows are being closed
and the lumber piled."140 It would be almost nine more years before the
doors of the new building would be opened for worship, and there would
be many difficult days for the church to endure before they would dedi-
cate the completed building to God on May 1, 1870.

During the year 1861, the construction of the new building moved at
a snail's pace. The War provided a wider field of usefulness and ministry
for Rev. Prichard. As troops camped just outside of Wilmington it became
the Baptist pastor's practice to visit them daily. He frequently conducted
worship services and Bible studies in the various camps. As regiments
were passing through on their way to the next battle, Rev. Prichard met
them at the train depot and distributed tracts and Bibles while assuring
them of his regard for their spiritual welfare. It was not unusual for him
to take sick soldiers into his home that they might receive care and at-
tention from Mrs. Prichard and his children.

The greatest challenge of the Civil War for Baptists of Wilmington oc-
curred on November 13, 1862 — the day their beloved pastor, John Lamb
Prichard, died after contracting yellow fever. The pastor who visited and
prayed at the bedside of many Wilmingtonians who contracted the fever
was not immune to the dreaded disease. Though he had the means to es-
cape the city Rev. Prichard remained to minister to the stricken and
dying. From that day forward he has been seen as a martyr who gave his
life for the cause of Christ.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

As terrible as were the horrors of a war that divided a nation, even
worse was the dreadful scourge of the fever which so insidiously crept
among the inhabitants of Wilmington in July of 1862. The population of
North Carolina's most populous city had swollen to almost ten thousand
people, better than twice the size of New Bern which was the second
largest city in the state at the time.141 The Wilmington and Weldon Rail
Road which connected the port city to the rest of North Carolina was par-
tially responsible for the city's population explosion that doubled between
1840 and 1860. However, it's close proximity to the ocean, and because
Wilmington was home to the principal seaport in the state made it a great
place to live.142 The church directory appearing in the newspaper indi-
cated there were seven churches open for public worship in the city —
two Methodist, two Episcopal, one Catholic, one Presbyterian, one
Baptist, the other Baptist church having burned.143 There was also a
Lutheran congregation at the time and a small gathering of Jews that
regularly met at a small synagogue. Wilmington was a great place to grow
up and was certainly a city where there was money to be made for young
entrepreneurs. The port gave the city a certain international flair. Rev.
Prichard once wrote, "Preached to at least six or seven nationalities today.
Norwegians, Scotch, Swedes, Prussians, etc..."144 By the end of the war,
everything had changed.

The staid old town of Wilmington was completely demoralized
by the Civil War... The city was infested with rogues and des-
peradoes, who made a livelihood by robbery and murder. It be-
came unsafe to venture into the suburbs at night, and even in
daylight, there were frequent conflicts in the most public
streets. . .Apparently the civil authorities were powerless to pre-
vent crime.145

The records of the church are silent for most of 1862. There are no re-
marks concerning the ministry it was providing to a city caught up in
the daily reports from the battlefields. While there was concern for what
was happening all around her, "a silent intrusion of death crept among
the inhabitants of Wilmington when the packet-boat Kate slipped by the
Federal blockade and delivered the seeds of a yellow fever epidemic."146
The editor of the Wilmington Journal expressed the opinion that "block-
ade runners did far more harm than good for the people of Wilming-
ton."147 He was certainly correct this time.

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

The havoc and devastation the tiny boat delivered from Nassau was
the greatest catastrophe the city had ever known. The early effects of the
illness went almost unnoticed but by September,the spread of the sick-
ness and resulting deaths were out of control. By October, citizens of
the city and area physicians realized how helpless their human endeav-
ors were against the onslaught. There were better than one thousand
three hundred reported cases of yellow fever that resulted in almost four
hundred deaths in October alone.148 Nearly all who were able to leave
the city did so as soon as the prevalence of the fever was discovered.
Wilmington became a beleaguered city ostracized by visitors, merchants,
and farmers.

The entire area was quarantined and no one was allowed to enter or
exit the city between October and December. The town was deserted, its
silence broken only by the occasional pedestrian bound on errands of
mercy to the sick, or the rumbling of the rude funeral cart. A physician
who was sent from Charleston, South Carolina reported in a letter to the
Charleston Mercury, ". . .the fear of contamination is so great that no one
comes into the city to bring anything, and no one from the city is allowed
to go into the country to seek after what is wanted and needed. To say
that famine is imminent (even present) would be no exaggeration."149

John Prichard wrote in a letter to his daughter, Mary, who was away
at school in South Carolina:

September 16, 1862 — There has been much sickness here for
the last fortnight and it is now pronounced yellow fever, by the
physicians. There is great excitement. Wilmington has never
appeared so desolate since we have lived here. I am truly glad
you are so far removed from these sad scenes. The hand of God
is in all these things. I feel just as safe here as anywhere else.
I could get no nearer to God, except He should take me to
Himself, where there is no war and no sickness. My times are
in his hands. I would not have it otherwise.150

October 1, 1862 — Our once happy town is almost depopulated
and a great many have left. It is impossible to give you an ad-
equate idea of the desolate scene you witness at every turn.
...Our trust is in God alone, for He alone can help us and de-
liver us from this dire calamity.151

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

October 8, 1862 — Should I die, I trust that I have given my
heart to Christ, and that I should go to meet your sainted
mother and dear little brother Jemmie. But I trust my dear
child that God will spare us to meet again in our humble home
to thank and praise Him for His loving kindness.152

Rev. Prichard's wife and four younger children (Annie, Johnnie,
Georgie, and Janie) traveled to Richmond in August, of 1862, to visit with
members of her family. His oldest son, Robert, remained in Wilmington
with his father. When it was discovered that yellow fever was spreading
throughout Wilmington. John Prichard wrote to his wife and requested
that she and the children remain in Richmond until the silent killer had
run its course.

September 29, 1862 — ...you can imagine somewhat only of
the state of things around us. It is no longer the Wilmington
you left. But the Lord is with us and still will be. I have heard
of several deaths this morning, several others expected to die.
Have attended one funeral and expect to attend another at 4
p.m. You cannot conceive of the desolation of our town.
Scarcely a store open. ..I cannot reconcile it to myself to leave
the many who must suffer, if someone does not attend to
them... Must a minister fly from disease and danger and leave
poor people to suffer for want of attention? How can he more
appropriately die, that when facing disease and death for
Christ's sake? ...I have committed myself and family to God,
praying Him to take care of us all. And if I fall, I leave you to
His merciful care and protection.153

The pastor and his wife corresponded with one another with daily let-
ters while they were apart. Two of the last letters John Lamb Prichard
sent to his wife contained the following:

October 12, 1862 — We have had no services today in any of the
churches. Surely there never was a darker day in Wilmington
than this has been. The Lord only knows what is in the future
for us.154

October 17, 1862 — Well, my dear wife, and do you ask me,

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

how I feel in view of never meeting my loved ones again on
earth? I cannot tell you. I must not conceal from you the true
state of the case by which we are surrounded. I am sick now. My
poor back and head ache, the true symptoms of the fever. This
is my bodily condition. I have no other trust but the precious Re-
deemer and He is precious to me. Though it may be feverish ex-
citability, I am not afraid to commit you and my dear six
children to Him. He has taken care of me and He will take care
of you all. But, 0, it is hard to think we cannot wipe the death-
damp from each other's brow! Notwithstanding this, I would not
have you here on any account. . ..my history is before the world,
and I trust my record is on High. To God I commit you all, and
my spirit I commit to Him. Sweet babes, dear wife, friends and
brethren, vain world, adieu! In hope of eternal life.155

Rev. Prichard had a sister (Lydia) who also lived in Wilmington. She re-
mained behind when his wife and children traveled to Richmond. She pro-
vided care for him when he became ill. In doing so, she contracted yellow
fever and died on November 11. Two days later John Lamb Prichard suc-
cumbed to the dreaded disease. His wife, Jane Taylor Prichard was informed
of her husband's untimely death in a letter from Captain Charles D. Ellis,
the devoted member of the Wilmington Church who had recommended
that the congregation invite Rev. Prichard to be their pastor seven years
earlier. He wrote:

It becomes my painful duty to announce the departure of our
dear, dear pastor. He left us last night at half past eleven
o'clock, and with a sweet smile on his face, has gone to reap the
reward of his works. I am sure, if he could communicate with
us, he would say, 'Grieve not for me.' May we not comfort our-
selves with the thought that he is now a ministering spirit
watching over us? 0, that the Lord may give us grace to bear
this heavy loss and say, Thy will be done.'156

The body of Rev. Prichard was laid to rest in Oakdale Cemetery just to
the right of the grave of his son, Jemmie. A large beautiful stone erected
by First Baptist Church marks his grave. His good friend J.D. Hufham
said of Prichard:

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

He was by nature, a noble spirit, generous affectionate and
courageous. His will was strong, his feelings intense, and his
moral tone pure and lofty. His disposition was eminently so-
cial influenced by motives of expediency, and ignorant of

fear.157

He died nobly. Unstimulated by the excitements of the battle-
field, he stood firmly at his post, amid the raging epidemic,
earnestly working, patiently waiting, and calmly looking death
in the face. ...The pastor, who voluntarily forbears to avail him-
self of his opportunity to go, and of his own accord remains
with the many who cannot leave, sharing the perils and trou-
bles which he might avoid, seems to me eminently acting in
the spirit of Him, who possessed of infinite power, forebore to
use it for his own good, but shared the lot of the lowly and the
poor whom he came to save. And if such a pastor falls under
such circumstances, verily, he 'falls, a blessed martyr.' His last
labors may be, in every sense, his best, and from his fall more
good may follow than a prolonged life could have secured.158

At a called conference of the First Baptist Church, the resolution that
appears in Appendix Three was presented by Charles Ellis and unanimously
approved by the entire congregation. The resolution is an indication of the
church's spiritual maturity and deep love for their former pastor.

Rev. John Lamb Prichard left an indelible mark on the people he
served. His print will forever remain on the city where he ended his min-
istry because of the beautiful sanctuary at the corner of Market Street
and Fifth Avenue. It was a project he began but never saw completed.

Stories of Rev. Prichard's dedication to God, family, church, neighbor,
and community continue to this day. It is interesting to note that his eld-
est son, Robert, graduated from Wake Forest and surrendered to God's
call to missionary service by ministering to the people of China where he
too gave his life for others. Rev. Prichard's eldest daughter, Mary, com-
pleted her education in South Carolina before being married to Dr.
Charles E. Taylor, a long-time professor at Wake Forest College.

War clouds were opening daily on people from north to south, east
and west. In these troubled years of 1861 to 1865, Wilmingtonians be-
came intimately acquainted with death in the midst of war, mistrust, hate,
poverty, politics, sickness, fear and death. The economic impact the War

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

had on North Carolina was almost as devastating as the loss of lives. Bap-
tist historian M.A. Huggins reported:

The State had been bled white. From 1862, to the end of the
War in 1865, bacon had advanced from thirty-five cents per
pound to seven dollars fifty cents; wheat from three dollars to
fifty dollars a bushel; flour from eighteen dollars a barrel to
five hundred dollars; salt was selling for seventy dollars a
bushel and coffee for one hundred dollars a pound.159

It was in the midst of this political, social, and economic turmoil that
the Baptists of Wilmington were attempting to complete the building of
their new house of worship. Their appetite for what the new building
would look like was tempted by the renderings architect Samuel Sloan
presented to them along with the skeleton of the edifice that now stood
at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street. However, the wallets of
the congregation were as empty as their partially constructed building,
and emotionally they were drained as the church mourned the death of
their beloved pastor, Rev. John Lamb Prichard. During these difficult
days, the church rallied as best they could and attempted to secure an-
other pastor who would lead them to complete what God had begun.

In the winter of 1862, First Baptist Church again turned to Rev. A.R
Repiton to fill their pulpit. The ministry he provided to the people of
Wilmington and the military troops encamped around the city during
the months surrounding the yellow fever epidemic was of a heroic na-
ture. Now the mantle of ministering to a grieving congregation only
added to his responsibilities. The entire city was at a loss of direction hav-
ing seen its Baptist Pastor, Episcopalian Rector, Catholic Priest and
beloved physician, Dr. James Dickson all succumb to the fever within a
few weeks of one another. The few laborers that were left in Wilmington
dug a trench around the partially constructed Baptist building, boarded
up the doors and windows in order to protect the building from looters
and the city from falling to what they saw as "the enemy." Rev. Repiton
held the church together for almost two years as they turned their at-
tention toward ministering to the sick and dying rather than finishing
the building.

It was not until April, of 1864, that the Wilmington Church began try-
ing to secure another pastor. They extended an invitation to Rev. William
M. Young, a native of Scotland, who was at that time serving as pastor of

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Virginia. The initial invitation of the
church was declined by Rev. Young because he feared the church could
not provide sufficient financial support for him and his family.

Rev. Young did not expect the congregation to provide him an exor-
bitant living, but he was familiar with the economic woes of Wilming-
ton following the yellow fever epidemic, and that the congregation was
in the process of a building venture that would cost far more than orig-
inally estimated. Not to be denied, Benjamin F. Mitchell persisted in
talking with Rev. Young about relocating to Wilmington until the wise
pastor asked that the congregation prove their seriousness in desiring
his services by raising six thousand dollars. When the challenge was
presented to members of the church they pledged four thousand eight
hundred dollars on the spot and promised to have the other twelve hun-
dred dollars in their hands by the time the new pastor arrived in Wilm-
ington. In a letter to Rev. Young dated May 8 of that year, the
congregation "guaranteed him his stay with us will be comfortable."160
Rev. William M. Young resigned his post in Williamsburg and accepted
the pastorate of the Wilmington Church on July 17, 1864. He followed
in the tradition of the church by providing a strong presence in the pul-
pit while leading the congregation to continue its strong support of mis-
sion causes.

Rev. Young was born in Edinburgh, Scotland but was brought to
America at a very young age by a Catholic uncle who resided at Prince Ed-
ward Island. The uncle had plans for young William to enter the Catholic
priesthood, but when presented with the idea, he resisted his uncle's pres-
sure and, filled with disgust, ran away from his childhood home before
finding a warm welcome by a group of people called "Baptists" in a place
called Providence, Rhode Island.161 There, he surrendered to baptism by
immersion as a believer in Jesus Christ and prepared himself to become
a Proclaimer of his faith by entering Columbian College where he grad-
uated with honors and was chosen as the class orator.

After being in Wilmington for just two weeks, Rev. Young realized the
church he was now pastoring had the potential to do great things, but in
order for this to happen there would have to be changes. The congrega-
tion had outgrown the "Meeting House" on Baptist Hill, and inflation was
running rampant in the city. Rev. Young encouraged the congregation
to inquire of the Mayor about using the Town Hall for worship services,
abandon the old building and attempt to sell it.

The economy of Wilmington was busting at the seams for a matter of

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

months because the city had become the most important port in the
South. As ships made their way into Wilmington the cargo was like gold.
The economy peaked when ships arrived and took deep dips when the
port was empty. Carpet baggers were moving south and port cities made
for great destinations. The Wilmington congregation agonized over the
idea of selling their sacred house but their need for money to see their
dream of a new worship center overwhelmed their nostalgia.

The congregation followed the new pastor's advice and sold the Meet-
ing House. The Baptists then began meeting in the Town Hall on the first
Sunday in August, 1864. 162 It was a good move by the church but they
never expected to call the Town Hall their meeting house for the next six
years.

The war-time conditions of Wilmington are reflected in the records
of this period in several ways. There are numerous statements in the min-
utes of the church that remark, "...the pastor is away visiting the sol-
diers." Rev. A.P. Repiton is referred to as a chaplain for the soldiers as well
as one who fills the pulpit of First Baptist Church and Orange Street Bap-
tist Church before it burned in 1864. Rev. Young's salary is reported as six
thousand dollars in 1864, and for 1865, his salary was placed at ten thou-
sand dollars, but by 1866, Wilmington had fallen to the Federal Army,
along with the rest of the South, and his salary was reduced to fifteen
hundred dollars.

On February 22, 1865, Wilmington became occupied by Fed-
eral troops. The officers reported that they found the town in
a filthy condition. An epidemic of typhus fever was introduced
to Wilmington through the Federal troops. Between February
26 and June 30, 1865, about fifteen hundred Federal soldiers
died in Wilmington as a result of the fever. Several thousand
more refugee Negroes sent to Wilmington by General Sher-
man were reported to have died of the same disease.163

While historians say the South was concerned with reconstruction in
the days following the Civil War, the First Baptist Church of Wilmington
turned its attention to construction. The Baptist Meeting House was sold
to John F. Stolter and John M. Bremer in May of 1866, though the min-
utes do not reflect how much money was received for the building.164
With the sale of the house, work was commenced on the new building
with hopes that it would soon be completed. Members of the Orange

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Street Baptist Church requested membership in First Baptist because of
the fire that destroyed their building in 1864, and they were warmly re-
ceived. Upon selling the lot where the Orange Street Church previously
met, all the money was given to First Baptist so construction could con-
tinue on the new building. However, the cost for construction was rising
much faster than the collecting of funds so the congregation commis-
sioned Rev. Young to travel throughout the north soliciting money in an
effort to rally financial support. Rev. Repiton preached each Sunday that
Rev. Young was away.

By October, of 1866, the membership stood at one hundred fifty-three
which was pretty amazing considering the death toll that accompanied
the Civil War, yellow fever epidemic, spread of typhoid fever that came
with the surrender of the city, and the fact that the African-American
members had left the church and were now meeting on their own. Two
more of these one hundred fifty-three were about to leave and they would
be sorely missed.

Charles Ellis announced to the congregation that he was retiring from
the business partnership he had shared with Benjamin Mitchell for many
years. With the retirement, he and his wife, Sarah, would leave Wilm-
ington and relocate to Chowan County where they spent the rest of their
life.

The departure of Mr. Ellis left a void in the stable leadership of the
laity of the church that had served as a guiding light for many years.
Along with George French and Benjamin Mitchell, Charles Ellis had car-
ried First Baptist through some difficult days. Now in the midst of one of
the greatest challenges the church had ever faced, it was losing one of its
trusted leaders, but there would be others standing in line to accept the
responsibility of following God's guidance in directing the future of the
Baptist Church in Wilmington. One such gentleman was Mr. William A.
French, a son of George French.

William French was thirty-one years old when he began to flex his
leadership muscles within the First Baptist Church. He recommended
that the congregation begin receiving an offering as part of its weekly
worship service. The congregation embraced the new idea with enthusi-
asm as they recognized this as a means of expressing their thanksgiving
to God for the blessings God had provided to them. Up to this point the
church was financed by freewill donations that were presented by the
members who were able to give. Perhaps this is why those members who
were prominent citizens of the city were the ones who provided leader-

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

ship in the church. Part of their ecclesiastical clout came as a result of
their capacity to carry the budget.

In November, of 1866, Rev. Young reported he had secured a gift of
five thousand dollars that would be coming to the church's building fund
in the form of a loan that was made by James Taylor, a gentleman from
New York. The conditions of the loan were such that Mr. Taylor specified
none of the money should be repaid until the new building was com-
pleted, and that there would be no interest charged for the loan. With
Rev. Young's travels proving to be a successful means for collecting
money for the new construction additional excitement was generated,
but the challenge proved to be a higher hill than the church could climb
without making additional sacrifices.

The beginning of a new year brought a new idea for generating much
needed money. In January the church resolved that a committee of three
people — George French, Benjamin Mitchell and William Larkins — be ap-
pointed to divide the church and congregation into neighborhood dis-
tricts and appoint a person from each district as the "Collector."165 The
duty of each collector was to visit each female member of the church that
was assigned to them by the committee, and secure from the ladies a sub-
scription, or monetary pledge that would be used to provide assurance for
the pastor's salary. The pledges were to be considered an annual amount,
but were to be paid on a monthly basis as dues to the church.

It was not unusual that the congregation would depend on the ladies
to finance the pastor's salary because they were used to collecting and
contributing money to mission and benevolent causes within the church,
community, or for the cause of sending money to missionaries around the
world. The Biblical Recorder, reported in 1858, that, "a large handsomely
bound Bible by Brother J.L. Prichard, in the name of the young ladies of
the First Church of Wilmington, was presented to Wake Forest for the
use of the College chapel."166 In 1859:

The ladies connected with the First Baptist Church and con-
gregation (Wilmington), are organized into a Sewing Society,
and are doing a noble work for the cause of Christ. The first
Church is about creating a new house of worship; and this So-
ciety of the sisters has come forward and subscribed one thou-
sand dollars to this object; and already they have about eight
hundred dollars made and on hand to meet their subscription.167

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The ladies of the congregation worked hard to further the cause of
Christ by whatever means were available to them, though their names sel-
dom appear in print. Whether it was leading in the ministry of the Sunday
School, clothing poor children, training future leaders by mentoring young
ladies in their homes or teaching young people to read and write, the ladies
played a vital role. It seems the Music Ministry of First Baptist was de-
pendent on, and indebted to a couple of women because church records
reveal that Mrs. Margaret French was recognized and praised by the con-
gregation in December of 1865 on her tenth anniversary as the Church Or-
ganist, and Mrs. Sallie Repiton was praised for being her assistant.168

October of 1867 proved to be another time of heartbreak for the
church as Rev. Young submitted his resignation in order to accept a call
to a church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The sad news of the upcoming
departure came at a time when the congregation felt better days were
near. The membership had grown to almost one hundred eighty and
workers had once again resumed their task of completing the sanctuary.
Prayer meetings were again being held on Thursday afternoons at one
o'clock and members of the congregation committed to fasting each
Thursday in order that they may be more committed to Christ than ever
before.169 Like Rev. Young, George French committed himself to travel-
ing up the eastern seaboard, and writing letters to churches in the north-
east and Europe collecting money for the building program.

Though they were still meeting in the Town Hall, the Wilmington
Church had hosted the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention
earlier in the year, and contributed more money to the cause of missions
than any other church in the Convention. The Wilmington Church was
not able to complete the much-needed new building during the three
years that Rev. Young served as Pastor, but he led them to make great
strides in their organizational growth and confidence. Their appreciation
for his work is expressed in Appendix Four.

The beginning of a new year found Rev. A.P. Repiton performing the
preaching duties for the fifth time for First Baptist Church and a team of
committed laymen pushing the congregation forward. George French,
Benjamin Mitchell, L.B. Huggins and James W Collins were appointed as
the new Pastor Search Committee while William French directed the ef-
fort to keep the church focused on completing the new building. Before
George French devoted his attention to securing a new pastor, he sug-
gested that the church diversify some of its leadership by adding two
women to the team that managed its finances.

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

Once again the congregation followed the suggestion of the powerful
Mr. French by appointing Sisters Bryant and French — one of George's
daughters — to the committee. On the heels of this new change that gave
women a place at the table of leadership came a motion from William
French that collection boxes be placed at City Hall, and in the stores op-
erated by members of the church, for the purpose of involving members
of the community in the fundraising efforts of the church.170 William's
motion passed but an innovative idea for generating funds that was sug-
gested by William Larkins failed.

Larkins proposed that forty pews that would eventually be placed in
the sanctuary should be sold to families of the church. He assumed there
were that many families willing to purchase a pew that would be reserved
only for them whenever the congregation met for worship. George
French presented the most opposition to the idea which assured the sug-
gestion would fail. After a year of massaging his idea with Mr. French,
Larkins again brought his motion forward that "the church adopts the
plan of selling the pews for the purpose of raising the funds needed to
complete our new house of worship."171 This time the proposal was ap-
proved.

A committee made up of Larkins, William French, and Benjamin
Mitchell was appointed to determine the cost of each pew. Though the
cost for building each pew was only three dollars, the price to purchase
one was far greater. The goal was to raise "not less than ten thousand dol-
lars."172 The committee determined the pews located in the center of the
sanctuary would be the most desired so they would also be the most
costly; five hundred dollars. Their thinking was that the pews on the back
corners would be the least popular, and therefore they could be purchased
for as little as ten dollars. When the seating diagram was presented by
the committee, the congregation paid ten thousand seven hundred fifty
dollars toward the completion of the sanctuary.173 Additional pews were
sold by auction once the building was opened for worship.

The payment arrangement was such that the pews were to be paid for
in twenty-four equal installments, with an eight percent interest added to
the entire amount if the balance was not paid for in two years. There was
also a twelve percent tax added to the agreed upon amount paid by any
person, or family. Pews that were not sold to members were available to
any visitors, or members that chose not to purchase one. After purchas-
ing the use of a pew, it did not take long before owners realized how un-
comfortable they were. A recommendation that the pews be covered came

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

shortly after the new building was opened for worship. However, the sug-
gestion failed because the debt on a loan the church had secured was not
yet paid.

The church now needed a pastor they felt could fill the pews. In Sep-
tember of 1868, Rev. J.C. Hiden of Portsmouth, Virginia was called and ac-
cepted the invitation to become the pastor of the Wilmington Church.
He set out at once to complete the building that was started eight years
earlier. In October, a list of every member — old and young, male and fe-
male, married and single — was distributed to the deacons who had the re-
sponsibility of visiting in the home of each member for the purpose of
pressing upon them the vital need of finishing the task of building the
church and collecting any delinquent dues.174 A good excuse for the in-
ability to pay was considered but intentional delinquency was not and re-
sulted in the expulsion of several members.

Rev. Hiden encouraged the use of offering envelopes that would be
used to unashamedly track the weekly giving practices of members. The
Finance Committee ordered five thousand of the envelopes and distrib-
uted them throughout the congregation for immediate use. The church
then went a step further by passing a resolution that essentially deter-
mined the amount of money each member should contribute to the sup-
port of its ongoing ministry. The resolution read:

The amount to be contributed by each member is expected to
be proportionate to his, or her ability; and any member who
shall give evidence of a disposition to shrink or evade his fair
proportion shall be reported by the deacon, who has his name,
that he may be dealt with for covetousness. No member is to
contribute less than ten cents per week; but this is not to be so
construed as to apply to those who are able to give much
more.175

Even with these new measures in place the possibility of having
enough money to complete the building looked bleak. After ten long years
of exhausting every avenue for collecting the money to complete what
would certainly stand as a testimony of determination and perseverance
to overcoming many challenges that were before them, the congregation
voted to borrow five thousand dollars from the Southern Baptist Home
Mission Society.176

On Sunday, May 1, 1870, members of the First Baptist Church of

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

Wilmington, and hundreds of other citizens of the city, finally realized
the fruition of their labor of faith, hope and love when the crowning event
of the last ten years took place with the dedication of the new building.
After ten troublesome and perilous years, the building was complete and
amid great rejoicing and thanksgiving, the sanctuary was dedicated to
the glory and service of God as its doors were opened for services of wor-
ship. Dr. E.T. Winkler, pastor of the Citadel Square Baptist Church of
Charleston, South Carolina, was the guest minister who preached to a
full house at the morning service and Dr. Thomas H. Pritchard, who
would eventually become one of the pastors of the Wilmington Church,
preached in the evening. He described the sanctuary as follows:

The Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. is numerically the
smallest and one of the feeblest denominations, financially, in
the city, and yet it is about finishing a house of worship which
has cost fifty thousand dollars. The interior of the church is
finished with a kind of wood such as I never saw before, and,
yet, it grows in the forests of North Carolina. It is curled pine,
oiled and varnished, and is more beautiful than maple, ma-
hogany, or even rosewood. The ceiling of the church is the
shape of the roof and very lofty. At intervals often or twelve feet
there are circular holes in the ceiling, a foot and a half in di-
ameter, which will be covered with glass, and through this
glass the house will be illuminated by gas jets, concealed in
the roof.177

"That was indeed a great day in the history of this church; for it
marked a new day for the Baptists of this city and section. In their new
church house, the Baptists had a building which would rank with any in
the country."178 What may be most amazing about the accomplishment
of finally completing the massive ten year project, is the fact that the
membership of the church in 1871, was only two hundred ten and one
hundred forty-five of them were women and children. The sanctuary of
the First Baptist Church of Wilmington that still stands at the corner of
Market Street and Fifth Avenue serves as a reminder of the power of faith
and perseverance and a monument to the vision and consecration of a
people who committed their lives to loving their God with all their heart,
soul, mind and strength.

The size and finish of the new building seemed magnificent to the

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

small congregation and other residents of the city of Wilmington. The
massive asymmetrical structure built primarily of brick, with stone ac-
cents, featured a large attenuated slate-covered spire on the eastern cor-
ner of the facade that stands one hundred ninety-seven feet above the
ground and a smaller spire on the western corner. Tradition has it that the
taller spire was the tallest church steeple in the United States at the time
of its completion. It was reported that John Hanby, an architect and
builder, was commissioned to come to Wilmington for the purpose of
constructing the taller spire because of his expertise and the problems
the builders faced in trying to erect the tower with its extreme slender-
ness. Mr. Hanby became so enamored with his work that upon finishing
the project he purchased the house directly behind the church on North
Fifth Avenue so he could live within the beauty of the shadow of the Bap-
tist Church.

'The eastern spire, completed and sheathed before 1865, was used as
a lookout by Confederate forces and later by those of the Union."179 The
taller spire stood for better than one hundred twenty five years before the
winds from hurricane Fran caused the spire to topple onto Market Street
in September of 1996. Members of the congregation and volunteers from
the community scrambled to remove the debris that was left behind with
many of the original bricks and pieces of the large timbers from which the
steeple was constructed taken to their homes where the building mate-
rials now rest as treasured souvenirs. The spire was reconstructed with
contemporary engineering support principles to look as it once did. 'The
buttresses are forty-six inches at the base, almost four feet thick, and
walls are thirty eight inches, more than three feet thick."180

The doors on the front of the building, and along the Fifth Avenue
side, are in wide pointed arch openings, while lancet windows occur in
twos and threes. The glass in the front entrance stairwells is probably
original to the building, though the colored glass that fills the windows
along either side of the sanctuary was placed just after the turn of the
twentieth century. The bell in the tall tower weighs better than two thou-
sand one hundred pounds; the tongue making up almost fifty pounds.
This bell was recast and enlarged from the original bell that was rung
when the congregation worshipped on Baptist Hill. It was presented to
the church on December 4, 1871, by George R. French. The bell no longer
calls First Baptist Church to worship as it did two hundred years ago, but
it is rung upon the pronouncement of a new wedded couple, or on a spe-
cial day of worship. The bell serves as a connection to, and a reminder of

A Heritage of Hope through Death and Celebration

those few radiant souls who were faithful to their calling as the first Bap-
tists in Wilmington.

The size of the sanctuary dwarfed the meager congregation of mostly
women and children. Much of the building remained empty when they
gathered for Sunday School and worship. Still, these Baptists were com-
mitted to the hope of filling the new house of worship with new believ-
ers. Standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, and in
dependence upon God, First Baptist Church looked to its future with an-
ticipation that their best days were ahead. As beautiful as was their new
house of worship, the strength of this band of Baptists did not lie dor-
mant in a building, but in their God who saw them through the Civil War,
sustained them when their pastor died, and led them to the dawning of a
new day.

CHAPTER THREE

A Heritage of Hope

through Reconstruction

and World War I

Worshipping in the newly constructed building brought an excitement
and energy to the Baptist congregation like it had not felt since the
enthusiasm surrounding the spiritual awakening of 1858. They now had a
place to call their own, and a handsome place it was. Touted as being one
of the most beautiful churches in America by all who saw it, and by far the
largest house of worship in Wilmington, perhaps all of North Carolina, the
congregation now faced the challenge of filling it with new believers and
paying the hefty debt that accompanied it.

Like most new things that are shared by many, tension arises when de-
cisions have to be made as to the best way to use them. In the case of the
new building, emotions were warmed when the superintendent of the
growing Sunday School began to complain about the close quarters he had
in the gallery, or balcony. From the first days of planning for the new build-
ing, the decision was made that the Sunday School would be conducted in
the gallery, while the "Audience Room" would be reserved for worship serv-
ices and church conferences. However, by the spring of 1871, the Super-
intendent, E.W. Manning, along with his assistant, James McDaniel French
(son of George R. French who was named after Rev. James McDaniel), had
grown the Sunday School to an enrollment of two hundred sixty-three,
with an average attendance of one hundred fifty-two students and twenty-
four teachers.

The participants were all but spilling over the rails of the gallery and
there was no room to add any others. The two leaders made a request that
they be allowed to use the main floor of the new building for the expand-
ing ministry. The first denial came in August. The second denial followed

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

two months later. The third time the congregation refused their request re-
sulted in the resignation of Mr. Manning and Mr. French, though neither
man left the church. It was not until 1875, and after numerous requests,
even begging by some of the children and leaders, that the Sunday School
was allowed to expand to the "Audience Room." Even then, they were only
allowed to hold the opening and closing exercises on the main floor. Par-
ticipants had to retire to the gallery for their classes because the 'Audience
Room" was sacred space reserved for the worship of God and meetings that
concerned God's church. Even the narthex was considered sacred space.
William Larkins presented the following resolution that passed unani-
mously at a church conference in June of 1872.

I move that it be resolved that the practice of assembling in
the vestibule of the church for the purpose of engaging in con-
versation is very objectionable and should not be indulged in.
We therefore earnestly request the members of the church and
the congregation to desist therefrom in the future, and the
ushers will be expected to aid in carrying this resolution into
effect.181

The "Ladies Sewing Society" that had performed Herculean work in col-
lecting money for the erection of the new building also got their feathers
ruffled when their request for use of the main floor for a meeting of the
group was denied by the voting members of the church. A possible reason
the suggestion from the ladies failed was because they were not allowed to
vote on church matters at the time. According to the by-laws of the church,
action on church policies came only through a two-thirds vote of the male
members. This was a cultural issue that existed in most organizations of
this era, and was not unique to Baptists. Had the entire church been al-
lowed to vote on the issue it most assuredly would have passed because the
membership of the congregation at that time consisted of one hundred
fifty-four females and only sixty-eight males.182 In the spring of 1874 the
ladies suggested the addition of a "Lecture Room" that could be used for
committee meetings, organizational gatherings, and Sunday School.183
While the suggestion was well received, it would be several years before the
room became a reality, finally coming as a result of their own labors at
fundraising.

Proud of their new building, and wanting to make Baptists across the
state aware of their accomplishment of finally completing the construc-

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

tion of the largest church in North Carolina's largest city, First Baptist
hosted the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention in 1874. The
new building was more than adequate to accommodate the one hundred
fifty delegates that made the trek to Wilmington for the gathering.184 Many
of the churches were much smaller than the Wilmington congregation be-
cause of the after- effects of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the fact that
in 1867, the Convention had encouraged African-American Baptists who
had been emancipated to begin their own churches, associations and con-
vention.185 There were already at least three hundred such churches in
North Carolina, by 1873, with a total membership of almost thirty thou-
sand.186

In March, 1875, Rev. J.C. Hiden tendered his resignation as pastor of
the Wilmington Church in order to accept the invitation to become pastor
of First Baptist Church of Greenville, South Carolina. The Wilmington con-
gregation of eighty males and two hundred females was disappointed with
the decision of the pastor who had guided them to the promised land of
completing their dream of a new building. In accepting Rev. Hiden's deci-
sion to depart Wilmington the church resolved,

That we tender to our retiring pastor a hearty expression of
love and respect for him personally and our confidence in him
as a spiritual teacher who is able through the grace of God, not
only to set forth the great truths contained in the scriptures,
but also to reflect them in his own life. Resolved that while we
would feel devoutly thankful for the success that has attended
his labors with us, by which so many have been brought into
the fold of Christ, we earnestly hope that the blessings of
heaven may attend him in his new field of labor and that he
may be abundantly blessed in accomplishing still greater
things for the cause of Christ.187

The name of Rev. James B. Taylor of Culpepper, Virginia was presented
by William A. French, Chair of the Pulpit Committee on August 23, 1875.188
The recommendation of the committee was unanimously accepted by the
congregation and Rev. Taylor agreed to assume the pastorate of the church
for a salary of one thousand eight hundred dollars for the first twelve
months. It is also noted in the minutes of the church that Rev. Taylor would
reside in the parsonage after repairs were performed. This is the first men-
tion of such a building in the records of the church. There is no reference

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

to the construction, or purchase of a house for the purpose of providing
housing for a pastor prior to this point in the history of the church. Nei-
ther is there an address indicating the location of the parsonage, though the
church did purchase a lot directly behind the sanctuary years earlier. It is
assumed the church built a parsonage on that lot. The silence of the church
minutes on this issue creates the question of when the church actually
built the house.

Rev. Taylor arrived on the field in November with the formidable task of
leading the church to pay off its outstanding indebtedness on their build-
ing. He quickly turned to the leadership and wisdom of George R. French
who challenged the congregation on January 2, 1876, with a stirring appeal
to make sacrificial gifts in order that the church may be found debt-free as
soon as possible.189 The dependable Mr. French agreed to lead the way by of-
fering a gift of two thousand dollars. It was not, however, until May of 1881
that the note would be burned releasing the church from the debt incurred
from the construction project it began better than twenty years earlier.

The first church conference of 1876 also resulted in a decision by the
ladies of the church to purchase a stove to heat the water in the baptistery.
The congregation approved the "Service of Song" as the hymnal that would
be used in worship services. The church also agreed that it would pay the
Organist a salary of three hundred dollars for the upcoming year. Benjamin
Mitchell's aging voice was once again heard when he recommended that a
team of ladies be appointed to aid the deacons in the distribution of the
mission monies the church provided to the poor and needy residents of
Wilmington. It is interesting to note that George R. French and Benjamin
Mitchell, probably the two most powerful members of the church during
its first seventy years of strength and struggle are the ones who recognized
the vitality of women in the church, and thus pushed for giving them a
leadership role in its workings.

By the close of 1878, Rev. Taylor had led the church to expand its mem-
bership to three hundred forty. The primary focus of the congregation was
to proclaim the gospel to area unbelievers, support the mission causes of
the association and state convention, and continue striving to pay off the
debt that continued to haunt them. A week-long revival meeting in De-
cember brought thirty new members into the church. The Organist was
now donating her time and talent in an effort to help with financial woes
the church was facing because of its decision to make sacrificial gifts to
mission causes. George R. French and Rev. Taylor were on leadership com-
mittees of the Baptist State Convention. At this point the pastor reported

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

he needed help ministering to the sick of the congregation, and the church
responded by appointing a "Committee on Sick." The responsibility of the
committee was to "attend to the sick of the church; to meet at least once a
month; to report to the church at every meeting."190 The committee was
made up of four men and eight women.

May 8, 1881 is a day that will long be remembered as one of the most
significant days in the life of the Wilmington Church. The congrega-
tion gathered for worship on that Sunday morning, as was their custom,
but the day unfolded as a great celebration when Rev. Taylor challenged
them from the pulpit to completely do away with their debt which was
now at six thousand dollars. The Finance Committee and deacons had
proposed that the day be devoted to the endeavor of disposing of the in-
debtedness of the church. Rev. Taylor told those present that he thought
the debt was in the way of their prosperity and efficiency as a church
and once they got beyond it they would benefit from God's blessings
like never before.191 His words of inspiration were followed by an im-
passionate appeal from William A. French who immediately committed
fifteen hundred dollars. Benjamin Mitchell, then spoke out and com-
mitted a large sum of money to the cause followed by words of inspira-
tion and pledges from William Larkins, Alfred Alderman, and Joseph
Taylor.

Gifts to erase the debt ranged from fifteen hundred dollars to five dol-
lars, in a worship service that seemed almost Pentecostal. At one o'clock in
the afternoon, it was announced that six thousand one hundred dollars had
been given, eclipsing the goal by one hundred dollars. Two days later the
local newspaper reported:

The scene was one of profound and thrilling interest. It was a
touching sight to witness the joy manifested by the members
of the church and the congregation at the glorious result.
Tears of joy were freely shed. The exercises were closed with
singing a doxology of praise, after which the benediction was
pronounced by the pastor. Notwithstanding the lateness of the
hour, (it being nearly 2 p.m.), many lingered to congratulate
one another and talk over the gratifying result. The First Bap-
tist Church has now arranged to pay every cent due on their el-
egant house of worship, and we very heartily congratulate its
pastor and its people on the success they have achieved.192

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

The building that was originally estimated to cost twenty thousand dol-
lars was completed at a cost of approximately sixty thousand dollars. Dur-
ing the week following the day First Baptist finally paid for their building,
Rev. Taylor composed a hymn and affectionately dedicated it to the glory of
God and the members of First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Car-
olina. The song (Appendix Five) was sung to the tune of Ariel on May 15,
the Sunday succeeding the "long-to-be-remembered one."193

After almost eight years of faithful leadership, Rev. James B. Taylor an-
nounced his resignation in March of 1883, to take effect on July 15. The
church was on solid footing now that it was free from debt and worshipping
in a beautiful building. They had a growing membership of almost four
hundred and a Sunday School that averaged better than two hundred fifty
people every week. In saying good-bye to Rev. Taylor, who had the distinc-
tion of having the longest pastorate in the history of the church to that
point, the congregation endorsed the statement of appreciation in Appen-
dix Six.

Dr. Thomas H. Pritchard accepted the invitation to become the new pas-
tor of First Baptist Church, in August of 1883, at a salary of two thousand
five hundred dollars for his first year of service. He arrived in Wilmington
on November 1, from Louisville, Kentucky, where he previously served as
pastor of Broadway Baptist Church.194 Dr. Pritchard and the Wilmington
congregation were not strangers to one another. He preached at the
evening worship service on the day the sanctuary was dedicated back in
1870. The church had also invited him to be their pastor in 1875, but he
declined, having accepted a call from the First Baptist Church in Raleigh
a couple of days earlier. After overcoming a number of challenges since
their previous invitation, the Wilmington church went back to Dr.
Pritchard and this time the situation was better for him and the congre-
gation.

During the time between the departure of Rev. Taylor and the arrival of
Dr. Pritchard, the strong lay-leadership of the congregation instituted a
new Woman's Missionary Society that would lead the church in future
fundraising for local, national and international mission endeavors, and
serve as the arm of missions education within the church. The church also
made the decision to convert the lighting system of the sanctuary from the
original oil lamps to a new gas light system. A year later the congregation
purchased and installed two chandeliers, three lights on the sides of the
balcony, and two on the rostrum in the sanctuary that were powered by
electricity.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Thomas Henderson Pritchard was born in Charlotte to Joseph and Eliza
Pritchard. His father was a Baptist minister and a native of Charleston,
South Carolina. Young Thomas was educated at Wake Forest College where
he graduated in 1854. It is interesting to note that Thomas Pritchard grad-
uated in a tie with John H. Mills for the highest grade point average in his
class. Because Pritchard was the better orator of the two, he was selected
to deliver the graduation speech. John Henry Mills would go on to found
the Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina.

Upon graduating, Mr. Pritchard was selected to serve as a publicity agent
for Wake Forest College. After a year of soliciting for students and financial
assistance for the college, he was ordained and called to pastor North Car-
olina's Hertford Baptist Church. In 1860, he was called to Franklin Square
Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and remained there until July of
1863, when he was imprisoned by the Federal army for attempting to travel
to his southern homeland during the Civil War. Near the conclusion of the
War he was released from prison and became pastor of the First Baptist
Church of Petersburg, Virginia (one week after it was burned to the ground)
for three years before accepting a call from First Baptist Church in Raleigh.
After eleven years of effective leadership in which the Raleigh Church dou-
bled its membership, Dr. Pritchard was elected president of Wake Forest
College, in 1878. In four years, he guided the college to grow its enroll-
ment, enlarge its endowment, and build Wingate Memorial Hall. He then
re-entered the pastorate by accepting a call to Broadway Baptist Church in
Louisville before coming to Wilmington.195

Dr. Pritchard arrived on the scene in Wilmington with a deep commit-
ment to missionary service. During his first year he laid the ground work for
a swell in the missionary spirit within the congregation that would carry for-
ward to the present day. In October of 1884, the church resolved to divide
Wilmington into five districts with a team of men and women assigned to
each district for the purpose of seeking out mission opportunities within
their respective districts and taking action on them. The church also decided
to begin receiving a special offering each month that would be used for for-
eign, state, and local missions. Dr. Prichard appointed a team often ladies and
gentlemen whose responsibility was to introduce themselves to any strangers
who may worship with First Baptist, then to introduce the visitors to the pas-
tor. The team would then follow-up with the guests during the ensuing week
by visiting in their homes and writing them notes of welcome.

In order to cultivate the missionary zeal within the congregation, Dr.
Pritchard encouraged every member to subscribe to the Biblical Recorder

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

(North Carolina's Baptist newspaper) so they could stay informed of what
Baptists were doing around the world. In December, the church expanded
its local ministry by spending five hundred dollars to purchase a lot on the
corner of Fifth Avenue and Wooster Street for the purpose of establishing
an "Old Ladies Home and Mission Station."196 George R. French, Benjamin
Mitchell, William Larkins, Alfred Alderman, and William A. French led the
laity in this effort.

During the spring of 1886, a decorative fence was erected that sur-
rounded the property of the church at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Mar-
ket Street. The congregation then purchased "the property adjoining the
church for five thousand dollars," though the minutes do not indicate the
plan for the use of the property.197 Eventually, the congregation built addi-
tional space for their growing Sunday School.

About the same time, a mission team began to explore the possibility of
beginning a new work in the Brooklyn community of Wilmington, along
Red Cross Street between Sixth and Seventh streets. On October 3, 1886,
the church commissioned thirty-four members — eleven men and twenty-
three women — of the congregation to go out as the core group to begin
the "Brooklyn Branch" of First Baptist Church.198 Their effort was blessed
by God and the small group grew to become independent of First Baptist,
in 1891. Today, this congregation is known as Calvary Baptist Church and
located on TAventy-Third Street.

The Wilmington Church opened the doors of its beautiful building to
the Baptist State Convention by hosting the annual meeting in 1886. Mes-
sengers from two hundred forty of the twelve hundred Baptist churches
that made up the Convention were present for the gathering.199

By 1887, the membership of the church had grown to better than four
hundred, and the worship services and Sunday School were well attended.
The Woman's Missionary Society was growing in attendance and had ac-
tivities every month, and additional requests for use of the church build-
ing were coming at each conference meeting. By the fall, William Larkins
requested that a Building Committee be appointed to look into the cost of
adding a "Lecture Room" to the existing building. They already had the de-
sign because it was part of the original drawings submitted by Samuel
Sloan almost thirty years earlier but because of financial restraints the
room was eliminated from the initial building project. It would be two years
before the decision to add the room became "official," and even then the de-
cision was made that construction of the room would not begin until the
approximate cost of five thousand dollars was collected.

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Subscriptions of better than two thousand dollars were quickly com-
mitted toward the new room that would also house an organ. The fundrais-
ing went slowly, however because the congregation was also attempting to
purchase a new organ for the sanctuary at the same time, and the cost for
the organ was approximately three thousand dollars. An organ was installed
in the Lecture Room in 1890, but it was not new. It was actually the orig-
inal organ that was in the sanctuary because in April of 1890, a new pipe
organ was purchased and installed in the sanctuary.200 The Wilmington
Messenger reported that the organ "has two manuals of sixty-one notes
each, thirty pedal notes and one thousand two hundred sixteen pipes."201
Various persons, especially Miss Cannie Chasten and her father, were
thanked for the part they played in securing, and having the organ placed
in the sanctuary. Miss Chasten agreed to serve as Organist for the next six
months without payment as a gift to the church.202 What a blessing this
was because Miss Chasten was a graduate of the New England Conservatory
of Music.203 Not only did the Baptist church have one of the finest organs
in all of North Carolina, it also had one of the best Organists.

The year 1892 brought with it a good deal of friction and tension be-
tween Dr. Pritchard and several leading members of the congregation. There
had been a transfer of the baton of leadership since his arrival. The death of
George R. French (1889) created a void in First Baptist's connection with its
past and now new leaders were emerging that were not impressed by the
achievements of their fifty-one year old pastor. One of the first things the
new lay leaders did to encourage Rev. Pritchard to entertain the idea of re-
signing was to sell his living quarters. In March, "the trustees reported the
sale of the parsonage with sixty-six feet fronted on Fifth St. to Colonel J. W.
Atkinson for $4,750. A motion to instruct the trustees to sell the remainder
of the property was laid on the table."204 Pressure was placed on Rev.
Pritchard when committee members openly expressed their dissatisfaction
during a regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Executive Committee
in June.

J.C. Stevenson expressed concern that the condition of the church had
deteriorated as a result of the failure of some of the deacons to perform
their duties. J.W. Collins agreed that the church was not all it could be but
felt it was because of a lack of leadership on the part of the pastor. Several
other members of the Executive Committee concurred with Mr. Collins'
assessment and raised the question, "Is a change in the pastorate desired?"
Nine of the fifteen-member Executive Committee thought a change was
needed. A motion was made that the pastor be informed of the lack of con-

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

fidence the Executive Committee had in his leadership abilities. A vote on
the motion was taken and only five members of the committee expressed
confidence in Dr. Pritchard. The chairman was then requested to notify Dr.
Pritchard of the action of the committee and to inform him that he would
have one year to prepare for his removal.205

By the time word of the actions of the Executive Committee reached
the pastor, open conflict was occurring throughout the congregation. Sev-
eral key members of the church resigned their positions and some left the
church. It appears there was little love lost between Dr. Pritchard and
William French, which resulted in a split between church members.
Charges were brought against Mr. French which resulted in his eventual
resignation and embarrassing separation from the church his father dearly
loved.

William French was expelled from the congregation and not readmitted
for twelve years, even after being recommended by several prominent lead-
ers of the church. A request for reinstatement was denied in 1904, because
Mr. French refused to stand before the entire church and admit his wrong
doing. Grace and forgiveness were finally provided by the congregation, in
October of 1906, when J.C. Stevenson, "recommended the reactivation of
church membership to Mr. and Mrs. William French."206 Mr. Stevenson's
recommendation was unanimously approved.

Upon hearing the report of the Executive Committee, and realizing the
damage that was being incurred within the church, Rev. Pritchard an-
nounced his resignation on October 9, and informed the congregation that
January 1, 1893 would be his last day.207 On January 2, he accepted an in-
vitation to serve as pastor of Tryon Street Baptist Church in Charlotte,
which today is known as First Baptist. He served the Charlotte church until
his death three years later.

What started as the beginning of a bright new era in the life of the
church ended on a sour note. For nine years, Dr. Pritchard served the
Wilmington congregation and Baptists across the country in a mighty way
through his involvement in activities outside the church. In addition to
the nearly five hundred members that were added to First Baptist Church
during his pastorate, Dr. Pritchard served as chairman of the Board of Mis-
sions of the Baptist State Convention, associate editor of the Biblical
Recorder, trustee of Wake Forest College, Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, in Louisville, Kentucky, the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, and lent his talents and interest to the establishment of North
Carolina State University in Raleigh.208

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Life in Wilmington was progressing quickly as the nineteenth century
was nearing its close. Transportation within the city was by horse-drawn
street cars, while cargo steamers full of passengers plied the Cape Fear
River up to Fayetteville. The Y.M.C.A. was organized; a new court house
was built, and with an improved economy came the establishment of the
Wilmington Savings and Trust Company. "Two outstanding evangelistic
meetings were held in the warehouse of the Champion Compress Com-
pany at Walnut and Nutt streets."209 The first city crusade was the Pearson
evangelistic meetings in 1888, and the second occurred in March of 1893,
when evangelist Dwight L. Moody stopped in Wilmington for a series of
worship services. Immanuel Presbyterian Church and Trinity Methodist
Church were established as a result of the crusade. The erection of Grace
United Methodist Church, Church of the Good Shepherd, and St. Matthew
Lutheran churches also took place during these few years.

On January 9, 1893, the church called thirty-two year old William Ben-
jamin Oliver as their next pastor, and he began his duties two months later.
Like several other First Baptist pastors before him, Dr. Oliver was a gradu-
ate of Wake Forest College. He was reared in eastern North Carolina and
came to Wilmington following four years of service as pastor of First Bap-
tist in Fayetteville.210 Several things stand out in perusing the church min-
utes during Dr. Oliver's five year stint in Wilmington. One of these was the
restatement of strong resolutions concerning the duty of members in the
matter of supporting the activities and finances of the church. It was reit-
erated that a just proportion of time, talents, and money was expected from
every member of the congregation, and failure to put forth these things
resulted in church discipline. As in days gone by, expulsion of members for
failure to attend meetings, or keep commitments was a regular occurrence.

Another important event was the organization of the Southside Baptist
Church that occurred in August of 1894. One of the last requests of long-
time member Benjamin F. Mitchell, before his death in June, was that the
church investigates the possibility of using the property at the corner of
Fifth Avenue and Wooster Street for starting a new church. What began as
The Wooster Street Chapel evolved into Wooster Street Baptist Church,
later called the Missionary Baptist Church, and finally Southside Baptist
Church when thirty-four members of the "mother church" were dismissed
to form the new "daughter church."211 The deed to the property was given
to the new church in 1897, after three years of continued growth on the
part of the new work.212 In conjunction with this new beginning, the deci-
sion was made to sell the Old Ladies' Home at Fifth and Wooster Street in

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

order to finish the Lecture Room back at the corner of Fifth and Market
Street. The room was completed in August of 1895.

The excitement surrounding the new work balanced the grief of losing
Benjamin Mitchell. The resolution that appears as Appendix Seven was
passed by the church. It demonstrated the love and respect the congrega-
tion had for the elder churchman that made First Baptist a top priority of
his life.

Another significant event that happened during the pastorate of Dr.
Oliver occurred in the spring of 1897. First Baptist Church hosted the an-
nual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. Hundreds of Baptists
from across the nation converged on Wilmington to report, plan, and cel-
ebrate what God was doing through their missionary effort. Wilmington's
accessibility by boat and train, its proximity to area beaches, and the size
of the First Baptist sanctuary made the city, and church, an attractive des-
tination.

While things appeared to be going well within the Baptist family, there
was an undercurrent of mistrust eroding away part of the foundation of
the fellowship. Internal divisiveness reared its ugly head because of a lack
of financial stability in the fall of 1897, and Dr. Oliver announced his res-
ignation to take effect the following May. Minutes of the church reflect a
lack of peace and trust within the church family between October of 1897
and May of 1898. Almost every resolution that was presented during this
time period failed, including one such recommendation from J. W. Alder-
man that "only the male members shall have the right to vote on the call-
ing or retaining of pastors."213 The church was floundering with only about
one hundred of the better than four hundred members making financial
pledges to support the budget. The momentum created by the growth of
the Southside Church seemed to be the only thing generating any type of
enthusiasm within the mother church. Some wondered if they would be
able to find a suitable pastor when Dr. Calvin S. Blackwell resigned from
First Baptist Church in Elizabeth City and accepted the invitation of the
Pastor Search Committee representing First Baptist of Wilmington in Sep-
tember of 1898. There was an understanding that he would begin his work
on November l.214

Less than two weeks after Dr. Blackwell arrived in the port city, Wilm-
ington experienced a catastrophe that has haunted the city to this day. 'The
famous political and racial incident that occurred in Wilmington on No-
vember 10, 1898, is, along with the subject of the Civil War, the most stud-
ied, researched and written about episode in local history."215 The minutes

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

of the church are silent concerning the effects of the politically motivated
takeover of the city by white Supremacists, but certainly their actions
spilled over to the church.

The emancipation of African-Americans came to Wilmington on Febru-
ary 23, 1865, when a group of Union soldiers on horseback entered the city
followed by a column of black foot soldiers after the fall of Fort Fisher. Dur-
ing the years of Reconstruction, many blacks came to the Cape Fear region
causing the population of Wilmington to swell to twenty-five thousand peo-
ple with African-Americans outnumbering Caucasian citizens by twenty per-
cent.216 By the mid- 1880s, word had spread throughout the south that
Wilmington was a place of opportunity for former slaves. "Cotton compresses,
naval store businesses and lumber mills provided employment for former
field hands."217 When the African-Americans began to exercise their privilege
to vote, they often elected black Americans to local leadership positions.

In 1897, for example, there were three blacks on the board of Aldermen,
the city's most important elected body. Another black was a member of the
powerful five-constituent board of audit and finance. Other public offices
held by blacks included Justice of the Peace, deputy Clerk of Court, Su-
perintendent of streets, and Coroner. The city had two black fire depart-
ments, and an all-black health board. To this list can be added a significant
number of black policemen and, in federal patronage, the Mail Clerk and
mail carriers.

The most conspicuous of President William McKinley's black
appointees was John Campbell Dancy, named collector of cus-
toms at the Port of Wilmington in 1897. In addition to being
black, and a non-native of Wilmington, he replaced a promi-
nent white Democrat. Dancy's salary as collector of customs
was approximately $4000 per year, which was $1000 more than
the annual salary of the state's governor.218

The Daily Record was the voice of African-Americans in Wilmington, and
Alexander Manley was its editor. A series of editorials by Mr. Manley infuriated
white Wilmington Democrats who had organized themselves into a White
Government Union. After a local election held on November 8, 1898, white
hysteria was at its peak. On November 9, an ultimatum called the "Wilm-
ington Declaration of Independence" was presented to thirty-two African-
American community leaders mandating the resignation of Alex Manley, and
that he leave town; black employment be given to white citizens of the

A Heritage of Hope through Reconstruction and World War I

city; and the Mayor and Board of Aldermen resign immediately.219 The
African-American leaders were given twelve hours to abide by the ultima-
tum or face the consequences. A written response was drafted by the lead-
ers in which they agreed, "in the interest of peace we will most willingly
use our influence to have your wishes carried out."220 Their response, how-
ever, did not arrive in time and the Fayetteville Observer reported:

Six hundred whites assembled at the intersection of Market and
Fifth streets, and at 8:30 a.m. marched to the office of the Daily
Record (South Seventh Street between Nun and Church streets
beside St. Luke AME Zion Church), the negro newspaper, and
destroyed all the material and the building (by fire). The streets
of Wilmington are full of armed whites. At least a thousand will
be on guard tonight. The column that moved on the Record 'was
composed of the best citizens, including clergymen. By 11:30
a.m., the confrontation moved to the Brooklyn area (Fourth and
Harnett streets) in the north side of town. Reports are that one
white man was wounded and six blacks fell to a barrage of white
gunfire. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen were forced to re-
sign, and have been replaced by an all-white Board of Democ-
rats. Quiet was restored by 4:00 p.m.221

The next day the Fayetteville Observer reported, "Black leaders were es-
corted to the train depot, put on northbound trains and told if they ever
reappeared in North Carolina they would be shot."222 Fourteen hundred
African-Americans were reported to have fled the city in the days that fol-
lowed. "We have taken a city," Rev. Peyton H. Hoge boasted from the pul-
pit of First Presbyterian Church. "To God be the praise."223

Wounds from that incident have continued to fester for the last hundred
years and the scars continue creating adversarial racial relations from time
to time. Race riots in the 1960s and 70s were particularly difficult on Wilm-
ington with older African-Americans remembering and reminding about
what happened in 1898. Though African-Americans make up less than
twenty-five percent of the population of Wilmington, there are a vocal few
who continue to remind city residents of the land and leadership roles that
were stolen from them over one hundred years ago.

Dr. Blackwell, though new to Wilmington, and First Baptist Church,
expressed his feelings concerning the November 10 racial riot. He was
quoted in Raleigh's News and Observer as saying:

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Sometimes special emergencies arise when evil-doers become
the common enemy of the community. The community must
put forth its hand and execute justice at first hands. There is
purification by breezes, but sometimes nature sees fit to use a
whirlwind. The violence of the whirlwind may destroy some
things, but who will say it was not good and needed, that it
was not ordered by God. The fact that a few negroes were shot
was a mere incident. You can't make an omelet without break-
ing a few eggs. The primary purpose was not to kill but to ed-
ucate.224

It was reported that he told members of First Baptist Church that "God
and the white-robed angels fought against the devil and his black-robed
angels and God prevailed and banished the black leader and his deceived
ones and there was peace in Heaven."225

Though he had his personal flaws and prejudices, Dr. Blackwell was said
to have been an orator of the first rank. He grew up on a farm outside of
Roanoke, Virginia and served in the Army of Northern Virginia during the
Civil War. During the days of Reconstruction, Calvin Blackwell traveled
westward seeking a new beginning and found it in Des Moines, Iowa where
he enrolled at Drake University for theological training.226 He returned to
Virginia, in December of 1874, where he became pastor of a Disciples of
Christ Church, in Norfolk. For the next seventeen years he traveled be-
tween New York, Chicago, and Augusta, Georgia where he pastored Chris-
tian Churches before becoming a Baptist in 1891.227

Dr. Blackwell's gift of preaching made him a delight to hear for the large
crowds that responded to his pulpit presence. He was often sought after as
a speaker for revival meetings and at convention gatherings. His evangel-
istic appeal was so effective that there were better than two hundred forty
additions to the membership of First Baptist during his four years as pas-
tor. When he resigned in 1903, First Baptist had a membership of better
than four hundred, and all but ten of the members were a part of the Sun-
day School ministry. However, Dr. Blackwell was far more than a master in
the pulpit. His respect among the teenagers lead the congregation to begin
a new ministry of Christian service training called Baptist Young People's
Union during his pastorate. The objective of this ministry was to assist
teenagers in discipleship as they grew in grace, learned how to lead others
into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the weekly meetings
cultivated a Christian social life among the young people. This was an ex-

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tension of the "Youth's Missionary Society" that the church began in the
early 1870s when the Baptist Foreign Mission Board began.

Dr. Blackwell's preaching caused the sanctuary to slowly begin to fill
again after a couple of years of declining attendance, and with the increase
in attendance came a new enthusiasm toward worship planning. In July of
1899, the Music Committee recommended that "Brother Ed. G. Woody be
called as Choirmaster and Sister Elizabeth D. Buntt as Organist to lead our
singers who are doing the best they can at giving acceptable service."228

An examination of the Church records during this time seems to indi-
cate that George E. Leftwich, W.P. Oldham, and John Hanby (probably the
same man who built the tall spire of the church, then purchased the house
behind the church so he could admire his work and live within the shadow
of the spire) were the persons primarily responsible for providing leadership
among the laity of the church. These three men served as Superintendents
of the Sunday School, as well as members of the Diaconate, Finance Com-
mittee, and Executive Committee. They carried a great deal of responsibility
during the lean years when money was being borrowed to meet the financial
demands of the church at the turn of the century. In October of 1899, it was
reported by Brother Oldham that, "We find only 196 members paying any-
thing to the support of the church. Of this number, 44 have kept their pledges
paid in full to date — the remainder 152 is not keeping their pledges paid up.
They owe the church a lot of money."229 He then proceeded to present what
may be the boldest motion concerning finances ever brought before the con-
gregation, and surprisingly it passed. The motion read as follows:

A list of all the members of the church to be put in a suitable
frame — this to be placed in the vestibule of the church, show-
ing amount pledged, amount paid, and the amount due by
each, up to date of each monthly report. This will give each
member a chance to see how his, or her, account stands with-
out trouble or annoyance to any one.230

Four months later the Finance Committee met with the Discipline
Committee and concluded that "about fifty members who are in arrears
with their dues needed to be excused and that all delinquents had been no-
tified."231 Brother Leftwich then recommended that every member of the
church be presented fifty-two envelopes and encouraged to use one each
week for their offering. The recommendation passed, and the expectation
was that members would give "something" each Sunday morning.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

In February of 1900, the congregation began to investigate the possi-
bility of beginning a new church in the Delgado area of the city. Wilming-
ton was expanding and new homes were being built along the east side of
the city. A few weeks later a Sunday School was begun near the corner of
Wrightsville and Gibson avenues. By October, the Sunday School had
grown to the point that, "Brother S.G. Hall and Rev. Boney made interest-
ing reports as to the mission work at Delgado and urged the necessity of a
building and a church organization."232 Rev. Boney was appointed to lead
this new work on behalf of First Baptist Church and assured of the full sup-
port of the mother church. This work continued to expand and meets today
as the Gibson Avenue Baptist Church.

Dr. Blackwell resigned early in 1903, to take the pastorate of First Bap-
tist in Norfolk, Virginia, but his announcement did little to deter the energy
he had generated. As in years past, the capable leadership of the laity kept
the church going forward. In June of 1903, the church hired Miss Alice
Brooks to serve as City Missionary for a six month period in hopes of hav-
ing a pastor by the time her contract ended.233 Her responsibilities included
visiting sick members, assisting with area Sunday Schools and welcoming
visitors who may choose to worship with the First Baptist family. A com-
mittee was appointed to place new lights in the sanctuary. The ladies of the
"Willing Workers" society reported that they intended to begin raising
money to replace the side windows, and thought they would be successful
in their task with the help of a few men in the congregation.234 In July of
1904, they began the task of replacing the windows in the sanctuary at a
cost not to exceed seven hundred fifty dollars. The "Willing Workers" had
almost four hundred dollars in hand at the time, but it would be a year be-
fore they could raise enough money to complete the project.235 After the
new "art windows" were installed, the ladies went to work decorating the
Lecture Room with new chairs, window treatments and carpet. By 1907,
the ladies of the Baracca Sunday School class requested and received "ex-
clusive control" of the room because of all the improvements they had
made to it.236 Shortly thereafter they had new carpet installed in the sanc-
tuary to replace the old carpet. The ladies were not just concerned about the
interior of the building, however. Their constant complaints about the con-
dition of the grounds led the men of the church to give the women sole re-
sponsibility for cutting the grass, pruning the trees and weeding the flower
beds that surrounded the downtown edifice. The Southside Baptist Church
was growing and needed additional space so they purchased the adjacent
property of the "Old Ladies Home" from First Baptist.

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Dr. Fred D. Hale assumed the pastorate in March, 1904 after serving as
an Evangelist in Hot Springs, Arkansas for the previous year. Born in Ala-
bama, Dr. Hale was educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in
Louisville, Kentucky, where he served pastorates before moving to First
Baptist in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1893.237 While there, he led the con-
gregation in a growth spurt that resulted in a membership of better than
twelve hundred members before a stark division arose over the sale and
consumption of alcohol by its members. Dr. Hale was totally against such
activities and after expressing his views, he resigned from the church and
started the Third Baptist Church in Owensboro, in 1896. Before leaving
this church five years later, Dr. Hale grew the infant congregation to bet-
ter than one thousand members who worshipped in a newly-constructed
sanctuary that sat about two thousand five hundred people comfortably.238

Dr. Fred Hale arrived in Wilmington with the reputation for being an ex-
cellent organizer and enthusiastic revivalist with a missionary spirit, but he
struggled with bouts of depression after losing his second wife to death
only a year earlier.239 After only a month on the field, Dr. Hale experienced
a spell of nervous prostration and after a brief hospitalization, he consid-
ered resigning. However, the people of First Baptist recognized he needed
to be ministered to rather than allowed to walk away emotionally weak-
ened so they allowed him a two month leave of absence to rest and recu-
perate. Rev. Hale returned two months later to find a devoted group of
laymen directing the congregation with John R. Hanby as Chairman of the
Deacons, Alice Brooks ministering in the community, Brother A.H. Yopp di-
recting the choir and leading worship services from the organ. The rested
pastor quickly surmised, "I find the church in a most hopeful condition
and the outlook for the future most encouraging."240 The church was av-
eraging around four hundred for worship services and two hundred in Sun-
day School each week. The congregation was smaller than Dr. Hale's
previous two pastorates, but the support rendered by members of First Bap-
tist was what the pastor needed at that stage of his life.

One of the first orders of business for Dr. Hale was to organize an Advi-
sory Board made up of the Chair of each ministry of the church. The Board
met once a month and functioned as the Church Council to keep the pas-
tor abreast of all the activities of the congregation. He, then expanded the
neighborhood divisions the church had created several years earlier for the
purpose of collecting money to meet its financial obligations. Rather than
using the block captains to collect money, Dr. Hale challenged each mem-
ber to find their niche in ministry and use it in their particular neighbor-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

hood. By the time he resigned in 1909, the neighborhood ministry had ex-
panded to include twenty neighborhood sections in Wilmington, each with
their own ministry captain.

Brother E.J. Edwards was hired as an Area Missionary for the newly
formed Wilmington Baptist Association and Dr. Hale assisted him in be-
ginning new churches in area townships like Maco in Brunswick County
and Wallace and Burgaw. His zeal for missions was quickly becoming con-
tagious within the church and they increased the amount of money they
gave to Foreign Missions to five hundred dollars in 1904.241 Three years
later the amount had grown to twelve hundred dollars. Dr. Hale conducted
a series of spiritual awakening meetings during the month of October and
added seventy-nine new members, fifty-eight by baptism. A new room for
Sunday School was erected that same month, and two years later it was ex-
panded at a cost of nearly four thousand dollars.242 First Baptist had made
a wise decision in not allowing Dr. Hale to resign earlier in the year. The
next few years would prove he was certainly capable of leading the church
to attempt great things for the furthering of God's Kingdom.

By October of 1905, the membership of the church had grown to five
hundred eighty with an average Sunday School attendance of more than
two hundred thirty. The finances were stronger than they had been in years.
Dr. Hale was spending one week each month leading revival meetings
across North Carolina and serving as an adjunct Professor of Theology at
Wake Forest College, but his time away from Wilmington was not hurting
the work at First Baptist. In a report to the congregation in December of
1905, Dr. Hale wrote:

During the past month, there have been many tokens of God's
presence with, and blessings upon us as a church. This has
been indicated by the large congregations at the Sunday serv-
ices, the notably felt presence and power of the Holy Spirit on
several occasions, the liberality of the church in a financial
way, the conversion of several people at the regular services,
and increased interest in, and attendance upon the Sunday
School. The outlook is most hopeful as from the Pastor's view-
point; the church is in better condition than at any time.243

He was correct in his assessment. The additional Sunday School space
was filled to overflowing the following February when better than four hun-
dred attended.

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The sudden increase in church membership prompted the pastor to ask
for additional help by expanding the number of deacons from seven to fif-
teen. The budget was increased as giving escalated and the congregation ex-
pressed their appreciation to Dr. Hale by giving him a four hundred dollar
raise in 1906, which brought his annual salary to two thousand four hun-
dred dollars. The church was not providing a parsonage for their pastor
during this time because the previous parsonage was sold years earlier and
there had not been any mention of a new purchase. A neighborhood map
of the church membership indicates that Dr. Hale resided at 609 Chestnut
Street. Upon receiving word of his raise in salary, he remarked that he was
"pleasantly surprised by the generosity of the congregation, and it was cer-
tainly needed because his living expenses were greater than what he was
paid the previous two years."244

The report of the Wilmington Baptist Association in 1907, revealed that
First Baptist continued to climb in all areas of ministry under Dr. Hale's
pastorate. Brother E.L. Hawkins was sent out from the church with prayer-
ful and financial support to organize a new mission at Wrightsville Sound.
The total membership of the church had risen to over eight hundred, total
contributions eclipsed ten thousand dollars for the year, the buildings
looked better, inside and out, than they had ever looked. The interior light-
ing system of the sanctuary was converted from gas to electricity. In the
words of its pastor, "all the departments of the church life and work are in
flourishing conditions."245

November of 1907, found Rev. M.J. Ham of Kentucky leading a two week
revival at First Baptist Church that realized almost one hundred additions.
Fifty-four people confessed faith in Christ and were baptized. The excite-
ment within the congregation spilled over into December when First Bap-
tist hosted the annual meeting of the Baptist State Convention for the third
time, but there was also a sense of sadness in the family. William A. French
departed this world for his heavenly home as the church prepared for the
celebration of the coming of the Christ child. This once trusted leader of the
church who fell from grace and was maligned for a number of years before
being restored to the fellowship of the church left a positive mark on the
church for years to come. He was, but one, of a few leaders whose death
merited a resolution. The following words reflect the legacy he left.

The church realizes the great loss sustained in the death of
our esteemed brother. Joining the church, July 21, 1856, in
his young manhood, his life was well spent in its service, and

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

to him the church is largely indebted for much of its material
prosperity and spiritual advancement, as he was always promi-
nently engaged in all the activities of the church. We shall
greatly miss his wise counsel and devoted service and tender to
the bereaved family our sincere condolence, commending
them in their sorrow to the abundant grace of our heavenly
father.246

February of 1909, brought another ministry expansion of the church
when First Baptist began exploring the possibility of establishing a mission
Sunday School in the vicinity of Sixteenth and Market streets with George
Leftwich and John Hanby guiding the effort.247 It would be several months
before the new project actually got off the ground but once it did there was
a ground-swell of support. The Sunday School eventually became a new
church with First Baptist dismissing one hundred members to join mem-
bers from other churches of the Wilmington Baptist Association to form
what would become Temple Baptist Church, which today meets at Eigh-
teenth and Market Streets, and also has a Christian Activity building at the
corner of Seventeenth Street extension and George Anderson Drive.

Not only did the years Dr. Hale spent in Wilmington make a remarkable
difference on First Baptist Church, but his influence was also felt in the
city. His stands on prohibition made Wilmington a better place to live for
all its citizens. In January of 1907, Pastor Hale organized an "Anti-Saloon
League" whose objective it was to close every saloon in New Hanover
County, and eventually all of North Carolina.248 While this writer does not
know how personally effective Dr. Hale was at ridding the state of saloons,
it is reported that better than sixty Wilmington saloons were closed on May
1, 1909, the day the prohibition amendment to the state constitution went
into effect.249 Feeling his work in Wilmington was completed, Dr. Hale re-
signed the pastorate twenty-one days later to become pastor of McKinney
Avenue Baptist church in Dallas, Texas. He would eventually return to
North Carolina as pastor at First Baptist in Lexington, where he died in
1918.250

One month later, First Baptist received a special gift that continues to
adorn our sanctuary to this day. The beautiful communion table that serves
as a central piece of the sanctuary furnishings was presented to the church
as a gift from Captain John F. Divine in memory of his wife, Augusta Eliz-
abeth Divine in June of 1909. Captain Divine was the general superintend-
ent of the Atlantic Coastline Railroad. A resolution was passed in receiving

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the gift that read, "This rare and beautiful gift is to remain in the church
for all time as a monument to the Christian life, and character of one who
was for so many years, a true and faithful member of the First Baptist
Church."251

The resolution that the table should remain in the sanctuary for "all
time" (and the fact that it has) is surprising because the name of Mrs. Di-
vine, or her involvement in the actions of the church, seldom appears in
records of the church. Whereas, the deacons were granted permission to
place tablets in the church in 1902, to the memory of deacons George
French, Benjamin Mitchell, L.B. Huggins, and Alfred Alderman, men who
were incredibly devoted to the work of the church and made great sacrifices
to see that its success would continue, but those tablets do not appear any-
where in the building today.

Dr. Joshua Hill Foster, Jr. assumed the pastorate of First Baptist Church
on October 1, 1909, after serving pastorates in his home state of Alabama
for the previous twenty-three years. Prior to accepting the invitation of the
Wilmington Church, Dr. Foster visited the port city where he spent sev-
eral days investigating the health of First Baptist.

On my visit to Wilmington I found the best organized church
I had ever seen. Dr. Fred Hale had set up a well nigh perfect or-
ganization, and I determined to take advantage of what he had
so wisely set in motion. He had taught the members of the
church the fundamental doctrines of the Bible. He was an ag-
gressive pastor, feeling that it was his duty — as far as was in his
power — to line up his congregation on the side of right on
whatever issues arose in the community.252

After witnessing a church that was ready to move forward, Dr. Foster
embraced the challenge that was before him by continuing the evangelis-
tic effort begun by Dr. Hale, expanding the Sunday School and local mis-
sion work of the congregation.

Dr. Foster's leadership began before he ever arrived in Wilmington
through correspondence with the congregation. Their willingness to follow
his direction was obvious from reading his remembrance of an early letter
he received from church leaders seeking his opinion on an important in-
ternal issue. The following excerpt provided a glimpse into the growing
music ministry.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The congregations in Wilmington were always good, and the
singing was superb. Before I began my pastorate in Wilming-
ton, the deacons wrote me and asked if I preferred a volunteer
choir or a paid one. They said we could have a large chorus choir.
I wrote back and suggested that we try the chorus, and after a
while, if it did not work, we could go back to the paid quartette.
When I came to Wilmington, a piano was put in the gallery op-
posite the organ. There were about a hundred voices who joined
in the music, and it was uplifting and inspiring.253

There is no word as to where the large choir sang from during the wor-
ship services, but placing them in the sanctuary was not a problem for very
long as Dr. Foster explained.

Miss Cannie Chasten was the organist and choir director. One
day she made some suggestions which displeased some mem-
bers of the choir, and on the next Sunday about forty of them
stayed out. That was the beginning of a disintegration which
brought the return of the paid quartette. When we replaced the
chorus with the quartette, the organist was happy and everyone
was well pleased.254

If this was seen as a blemish on the leadership capabilities of the new
pastor, it would be one of the few failures he and the church experienced
over the next five and one-half years.

In June of 1910, the deacons recognized the need to enlarge the Sun-
day School space in order to provide additional room for the children of the
church. The decision was made to create this new space by digging a base-
ment under the existing "Lecture Room" and auditorium that was already
being filled to capacity each week. Dr. Foster's memoirs give us an idea of
the dedication demanded to make the expansion possible (Appendix Eight).

T\vo months later, the deacons recommended that Miss Nettie King be
hired to serve as City Missionary and assistant to the pastor. She was only
nineteen years of age but was recognized as having a gift for visiting among
the homebound members of the congregation. Miss King, who eventually
was married to Mr. L.F Gore, was paid twenty dollars a week to visit church
members who were sick, elderly members who were unable to get to
church, prospective members who were attending worship services or Sun-
day School, and to continue organizing the ever-growing Sunday School by

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beginning new classes and departments as they were needed. Miss King
was a great help to Dr. Foster who felt it vital that church members be vis-
ited regularly. His annual report of 1911 recorded better than one thousand
four hundred visits with members of the church. 255

After twenty-seven months as pastor, Dr. Foster convinced the congre-
gation that greater things would be accomplished if he had additional help.
Following his request, the church employed an assistant pastor. This time
they hired M.O. Alexander, an assistant at the Y.M.C.A. Mr. Alexander was
licensed to preach, and a month later ordained. He was "a general all round
helper" to Dr. Foster, and his responsibilities also included that of a finan-
cial secretary.256 Interestingly enough, this assistant pastor had the distinct
duty of making sure someone joined the church at every service because Dr.
Foster felt it was imperative that each worship service should close with
someone making a profession of faith in Christ, or at least transferring
their membership to First Baptist Church. Mr. Alexander must have been
successful at his work. Every church conference between the time he began
and the time he resigned to attend the Moody Bible Institute in June of
1913, recorded new members joining the church.257 Upon his resignation,
the church passed a resolution in his honor that read:

We commend Rev. M.O. Alexander as a young man of rare gifts
and consecration; an earnest worker and successful soul win-
ner. We pray the Great Head of the Church to prosper him in
his college career and in whatever field of labor he may be
called to work. We shall ever hold him in kindest remembrance
for his work's sake.258

On the occasion of its One Hundred Twenty-fifth anniversary in 1933,
Rev. Alexander sent a letter expressing his appreciation for the start he was
given by First Baptist Church. His remarks included these words:

I am justly proud of my relationship with the church through
a period of more than eight years. I was not only the first as-
sistant pastor of First Church, Wilmington, but first to serve in
that capacity among Baptist churches in North Carolina. The
First Church took the lead in giving the pastor help. The
W.M.U. of the First Church sent me to the Seminary at
Louisville in 1913. It was from this church I was appointed
Chaplain in the U.S. Navy in 1915. While I was serving as as-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

sistant to Dr. Foster, I organized the church at Winter Park
Garden and was its first pastor. I organized the church at Del-
gado (now Gibson Avenue, I believe). I preached at Castle
Hayne and Wrightsboro churches during this period also, and
helped establish a mission at Farmers, some miles from Wilm-
ington. My love abides and my prayers continue for the Great
Old Church and her beloved and honored pastor.259

Rev. Alexander was serving as pastor of First Baptist Church in
Thomasville, North Carolina at the time of this letter.

One month after receiving the resignation of Rev. Alexander, Miss Net-
tie King resigned her position as City Missionary, but at the same church
conference in which she resigned, "Brother WC. Peterson made a motion
that arrangements be made for the ordination of Brother William M. Craig
to the ministry."260 Two weeks later, he was ordained and became the new
assistant pastor.

While Dr. Foster was at work, building the membership of First Baptist
Church, these assistants worked diligently to keep the gospel expanding
with the growth of the city. The Delgado Mission was solidified as a church,
and in 1913, a new mission station was begun at Winter Park Garden as a
result of their labor. Ninety-five years later, Winter Park Baptist Church is
comparable in size, budget, mission interests, church polity and member-
ship make up as its mother church. The similarities are amazing.

Dr. Foster's passion for evangelism and gift to recognize and set apart
capable leadership from within the laity was equaled by his ability to mo-
tivate people to make sacrifices for the expansion of God's Kingdom. In the
five and one-half years he served as pastor of First Baptist Church, there
were better than nine hundred additions to the church and almost fifty
thousand dollars given to mission causes. All indebtedness was paid and
there were numerous enhancements to the building and grounds of the
church. New sidewalks were placed around the church, tile was laid on the
floor of the narthex, a new slate roof was installed on the sanctuary, a motor
to replace the manual blower was installed for the organ, and the afore-
mentioned expansion of the Sunday School space was constructed during
Dr. Foster's pastorate. Also, in 1914, a marble baptistery was installed in
the sanctuary as a gift from John and Joseph Hanby. Dr. Foster's remem-
brance of the need for a new baptistery appears as Appendix Nine.

First Baptist Church prospered greatly under the wise and capable lead-
ership of Dr. Foster. Consequently, it was with great regret and sadness that

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the congregation received his resignation on April 25, 1915, to become
president of Bessie Tift College in Forsyth, Georgia, on August 1, 1915.261
Before Dr. Foster and his family departed Wilmington, First Baptist Church
passed a resolution (Appendix Ten) that expressed their love and apprecia-
tion for all he meant to the congregation.

Upon receiving Dr. Foster's resignation, a Pastor Search Committee
consisting of Dan Penton, John Hanby, William T. Smith, H.C. Marshall,
and W.C. Peterson was elected and began their work. It was decided that as-
sistant pastor, Rev. Marshall Craig would serve as pastor in the interim,
though he was also serving as pastor of the Winter Park church at the time.
Somehow, Rev. Craig was able to fulfill the responsibility that was before
him for the next year. Research into his career as a minister reveals the
reason why.

Rev. Craig resigned the Wilmington churches to accept the pastorate of
First Baptist in Kinston, North Carolina. After a stint of four years there, he
moved to First Baptist in Petersburg, Virginia where he would serve for the
next seven years before accepting a call to the Gaston Avenue Baptist
Church in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Craig served the Dallas church, with distinc-
tion, for the next twenty-six years. During his tenure, more than thirteen
thousand people joined the church, whose membership grew from eight-
een hundred in 1927, to better than seven thousand before he retired in
1953, to devote his efforts to being a full-time Evangelist.262 Dr. W Mar-
shall Craig also served as a trustee of Baylor University, Howard Payne Col-
lege, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary at Wake Forest, and as
Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, during his ministry in
Texas. First Baptist Church of Wilmington, and Dr. J.H. Foster were fortu-
nate to have such a leader as Marshall Craig to join them in their ministry.

The relationship between Dr. Foster and the congregation of First Bap-
tist Church continued to grow over the years and miles that separated
them. In 1933, at the age of seventy-two, Dr. Foster retired and returned to
Wilmington. Upon his arrival he was honored with the distinction of be-
coming the first Pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church.263 For the next
fourteen years he supplied the pulpits of many churches in the Wilming-
ton Baptist Association and was an active participant in the Pastor's Con-
ference.

Dr. John Jeter Hurt left First Baptist Church in Durham, North Car-
olina, and became pastor of Wilmington's First Baptist Church in October
of 1916.264 With a depleted staff, the congregation allowed him to bring
along Mr. D.H. Wilcox who had capably served as his assistant for the pre-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

vious few years. Shortly after arriving in Wilmington, Dr. Hurt added Mr.
W.B. Muse to the ministerial team. Mr. Muse served as financial secre-
tary and office administrator. He and his wife were also a vital part of the
music program. Music for the worship services was continuing to be led
by a quartette at this time and Mr. and Mrs. Muse were two of the four
singers. Miss Rose Godwin would also become a part of the church staff
during the years Dr. Hurt guided First Baptist. Her responsibilities in-
cluded working with the teenagers and children of the church. With a
full, and capable, staff in place, and following the wave of momentum
generated from the ministry of Dr. J.H. Foster, the future looked bright
for the church. It was then that the world broke into war and all other
things seemed insignificant. The church had numerous members who
would go out to serve in the United States military over the next few
years, though the number of casualties within the church family was
minimal. Still, the impact of the war in Europe scarred America as most
every family experienced the gamut of emotions that are brought on by
the tension of war.

Dr. Hurt was a Virginian who was educated at the University of Rich-
mond and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His seven years at First
Baptist were a proverbial roller coaster as he guided the congregation
through the dark days of the War, but also was fortunate enough to reap the
blessing of the financial boom which followed. The church continued their
outreach efforts by sponsoring the Seaside Assembly at Wrightsville Beach,
while under his leadership.

The Harbor Island Auditorium was erected by the Tide Water
Power Company and tendered to the Baptists for this purpose.
Helpful informational and inspirational programs were skill-
fully arranged by Dr. Hurt and his able assistants. Large crowds
came from various parts of the State to these meetings. How-
ever, after a few years, the Assembly had to be abandoned.265

Dr. Hurt's signature on First Baptist Church occurred in his guiding
the congregation to plan and construct the existing Christian Education
annex. In a church conference in August of 1920, a motion was made by L.F.
Gore and duly seconded by William Struthers, Jr., that a contract be made
between the church and L.H. Vollers for the construction of a new Sunday
School building at an estimated cost of $71,000. The recommendation was
adopted.266

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This was a huge undertaking for the church whose annual budget was
less than fifteen thousand dollars.

The new building would serve as the first full educational complex the
church ever had, but it would cost far more than seventy-one thousand
dollars. As a matter of fact, in spite of the large amount of money that was
given toward paying for the building as it was being erected, in February
of 1922, just one month after the building was complete and Sunday School
classes moved in, the church sold fifty thousand dollars worth of bonds in
order to pay for the new construction.267 This was money well-spent be-
cause the new building not only provided space for the existing needs of the
Sunday School ministry, but also enough room to house the Sunday School
and Christian Education activities for many years to come. Dr. Hurt re-
marked that "the new building had seventy rooms, one being the basement
level fellowship hall named 'Fireside Hall' because it contained a fire-
place."268 Many of these rooms must have been small because the building
has been renovated twice since being erected and today there are only
thirty-five rooms. None of the rooms are very large. There was also a roof-
top garden that was used for church-wide socials, according to church
records. The garden was created on the flat roof above the west side of the
third floor such that it over-looked the downtown area. Members of the
sixth grade Sunday School class continue to enjoy this space by going out
onto the roof for their class time when weather permits.

Dr. Hurt announced his resignation just nineteen months after the ded-
ication of the new Sunday School Annex. Feeling a call to the First Baptist
Church of Jackson, Tennessee, Dr. Hurt left Wilmington, along with Mr. and
Mrs. Muse, but left behind Rev. Wilcox to serve as interim pastor. During his
seven year tenure, Dr. Hurt provided the guidance needed to complete a
building campaign, welcomed approximately one thousand new members
into the church, assisted in solidifying the start of Temple Baptist Church,
and led the congregation to begin a weekly newsletter, and seven new Bap-
tist Young People's Union groups. In announcing his resignation he said:

Seven years and three months ago the Star of my hopes stood
still above yonder high-pointing steeple and lighted the path of
duty for me beneath it. I then took up the task which has
proven both difficult and delightful. Today that guiding Star
seems to be moving westward. Where it leads, I will follow.

To go means the severance of relationships as precious as
anywhere bind pastor and people together. The memory of

113

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

these ties will cheer me until life's little day is lost in the gath-
ering shadows. And, the fond hope of forming them again in
the land eternal will be an ever present inspiration.269

After giving nine years of service to First Baptist Church of Jackson,
Tennessee, Dr. Hurt was elected president of Union University in that same
city. He held that position until he was elected as acting president of New
Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Hurt also served as vice-presi-
dent of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1935.

Rev. D. H. Wilcox lead First Baptist for the next eleven months by re-
ceiving more than fifty new members and guiding the congregation to pay
down an additional ten thousand dollars toward the debt on their new
building. In July of 1924, he resigned to accept the position of Assistant
Pastor at First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.270 How-
ever, the resignation did not take effect until September 1, the day on which
Rev. J. Marcus Kester came to serve as the new pastor.

The landscape of Wilmington had undergone many changes over the
last fifty years, as had First Baptist Church. Social, political, and techno-
logical advancements catapulted the church into a new century with nu-
merical and financial growth. The organizational skills of Dr. Hale and
pastoral tenderness of J.H. Foster combined with the enthusiasm of new
members who continued the commitment of past lay leaders made First
Baptist one of the strongest churches in North Carolina. Their resilience,
devotion to God and commitment to missions formed a strong foundation
that served as a rudder that guided this movement of God. First Baptist
spawned numerous other churches since its early days on Baptist Hill and
its future was brighter than any sunrise that ever emerged over the Atlantic
Ocean.

114

Photos

The original Baptist Meeting House on Baptist Hill is located at 305 South
Front Street. Worship services, Sunday School and meetings of the church
were held in this house until 1866. The house serves as a residence today.

The French brothers (from left: Job B. French, George R. French, Asa P. French and
Stephen A. French) in 1882. George R. French carried First Baptist Church on his shoul-
ders during its formative years and was responsible for leading the church to purchase
the property at the comer of Fifth Avenue & Market Street, selecting the architect, choos-
ing the model and approving the design of the existing sanctuary and was responsible for
the majority of the fundraising to build it. He enlisted the assistance of his brothers in
developing financial support from churches and individuals in the north, primarily their
home state of Massachusetts.

115

History, Heritage, and Memories

Pla«, Kum »£*/•& v* u^t.ow f* Pe^s _ F|RST »„ pt liJT c „„«0,

77z/s photograph of the original seating plan of the pews in the sanctuary shows the
rental amount and the numbering of the pews. Pews were rented annually as a way to
pay oft the original debt incurred when the sanctuary was built.

116

Photos

'■:

f .

-4 \«9hI 1

-ir^j^' . .

This view of the exterior of the sanctuary in 1900 is one of the earliest photographs of
the 138-year-old sanctuary.

Ill

History, Heritage, and Memories

The Marshall Craig Baptist Young Peoples Union (BYPU) discipleship group is shown seated on
the steps of the east entrance (corner of Fifth Avenue) to the sanctuary in 1915.

An adult Sunday School class is pictured sitting on the steps of the church sanctuary in 1916.

118

Photos

«•«

-•W*--*.'i.

The Primary Sunday School Department poses for a photo in 1920.

The Children 's Sunday School Department gathered for a social in the fellowship hall in 1923.

119

History, Heritage, and Memories

Reverend Dr. John Jeter Hurt ( in long coat)) is flanked by an adult Sunday School class on the
front steps of the sanctuary in 1923.

This house at 117 South Fourth Street served as the parsonage from 1924 until 1950. Dr.
J. Marcus Kester and his family (10 children) lived in this house until his untimely death
in 1936. A new parsonage was purchased by the church at 15 Forest Hills Drive in 1950
which served as the home of Reverend Randolph Gregory and his family until his re-
tirement in 1975.

120

Photos

77ze Freeman Sunday School class is pictured in this photo from 1948. Many of these
women led the Woman's Missionary Union (WMU) activities of the church.

Organist/Choir Master Henry Emurian (center) is flanked by the Chancel Choir in the
original choir loft.

121

History, Heritage, and Memories

Pictured is the interior of the sanctuary in 1950.

A Girls In Action (GA) Coronation was held in the sanctuary in 1965.

122

Photos

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Activities Center in 2008 after renovation and expansion.

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This view shows the sanctuary with the exposed damage to the tall spire after Hurricane
Fran in 1996. This photograph was published in numerous national newspapers to show
the severity of the winds of the storm.

123

CHAPTER FOUR

A Heritage of Hope

through Social Unrest

And Racial Tension

Dr. J. Marcus Kester was a native North Carolinian who received degrees
from Wake Forest and Newton Theological Seminary, though he also
studied at Harvard, Oxford, and Glasgow, Scotland. Prior to coming to
Wilmington, Dr. Kester served as pastor of First Baptist churches in Wil-
son, North Carolina, Shelby, North Carolina, and for two years as educa-
tional secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist
Convention.271 From the day of his arrival in Wilmington, until the day his
body was laid to rest in Oakdale Cemetery in 1936, Dr. Kester gave his all
to the church family of First Baptist Church.

Described as "unpretentious, quiet, scholarly, a gentleman in every
sense of the word," J. Marcus Kester was loved and appreciated for his sense
of conviction and steady approach to guiding the congregation to be a liv-
ing example of Christ's love.272 Cooperation, trust, harmony, and unity were
characteristics that Dr. Kester instilled in the church. He constantly
stressed the importance of "spirituality in living and stewardship in giv-
ing." As a result of these guiding principles, the congregation chose to
begin a nominating committee process whereby a committee was elected
to nominate the officers of the church, along with thirty-three deacons,
and thirty-three deaconesses (women whose responsibility it was to assist
the male deacons). These sixty-six members served as ministers in their
neighborhoods, while a "Board of Deacons," consisting of fifteen men
served as the administrative decision-makers for the congregation.273

The nominating committee consisted of three men and two women.
The standing committees of the church at this time included the following:
Finance, Music, Pulpit, Lord's Supper, Audit, Baptismal, House, Ushers,

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

Publicity, Membership, Grounds, and Flowers. In addition to the worship
services and Sunday School, the church also had the following ministries:
Music, Youth, Children, Women's Missionary Union, and monthly gather-
ings for men. To these activities was added the "Church Night Studies" that
occurred each Wednesday evening beginning in 1926.

It is not surprising that the church decided to begin having women
in elected positions at this time. The inclusion of women on the boards
of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention began in 1918. The
nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution, giving
women the right to vote, was ratified in August of 1920. One year later,
a committee of the Baptist State Convention constitution recom-
mended the elimination of language restricting representation at the
annual session to males.274 Had it not been for the commitment of
women to the work of First Baptist Church and all other Baptist asso-
ciations and conventions, few of them would have survived. Women
were now getting the opportunity to be recognized for the leaders they
were.

Dr. Kester's passion for supporting global mission causes was obvious
by his employment by the Foreign Mission Board prior to moving to Wilm-
ington. His love for, and commitment to mission work was matched by
First Baptist's history of supporting missionaries from its earliest meetings
in 1808. The zealous pastor faced no opposition when he encouraged the
congregation to designate at least one-third of its annual budget to mission
causes outside of Wilmington. The church would continue this practice
for many years, even in the face of financial hardship. Evidence of the legacy
of sacrificial giving continued to live within the church. Records indicate
Ernest Kolk, the Educational Director, refused a raise in salary in order to
secure that First Baptist could send more money to the work of global mis-
sions.275 Though Mr. Kolk resigned his post later in the year, the congre-
gation felt it imperative that they continue having someone in place to
direct the Christian Education ministry of the church. Rev. John A. Neil-
son was called to this position in October, 1927, at a salary of two thousand
one hundred dollars.276 Dr. Kester was paid four thousand eight hundred
dollars, annually. The church also employed Mary Hanby as Financial Sec-
retary. Mrs. Lila Head was serving the church as organist at this same time,
but would only accept a small salary for the part she played in leading wor-
ship. A paid quartette consisting of Ella Belle Futrelle, Mrs. Armistead Mer-
cer, Mr. Snakenburg, and Mr. Cheek divided one hundred twenty dollars
each month for leading in choral music.277

125

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

One of the first goals set by Dr. Kester was to eliminate the debt in-
curred by the church when it erected the educational building. He was
aware of the fifty thousand dollars in bonds that were sold, and that they
were to mature in 1927. When March, 1927, arrived, the church had paid
all its notes, twenty-three thousand dollars was paid toward the fifty thou-
sand dollars in bonds that were sold, and the church prepared and sold an
additional twenty-seven thousand dollars in new bonds that were to be paid
over the next three years. First Baptist was therefore, free of all debt on
April 1, 1930.278 This was an amazing feat considering that the days of
America's economic depression was staring the church in the face.

Names that frequently appear in leadership roles during this era were
Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Vann, Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Hanby, Dan Penton, Dr. W.T.
Smith, D.L. Dobson, W.H. McEachern, Claud Efird, B.V. Sunofsky, Nellie
Pickard, and Bessie Ruth Lathrop. Members of the "Board of Deacons" were
A.M. Baldwin, D.C. Marshall, D.L. Dobson, H.A. Hanby, S.B. Tabb, Dan Pen-
ton, J.A. Orrell, F.T. Allen, J.L. Baldwin, R.H. Brady, E.B. Josey, J.D. Vann,
W.C. Peterson, J.R. Hanby, W.T. Smith, and J.F. Warwick.279 These deacons
were elected to serve terms of three years at the time according to the
church by-laws. If a vacancy occurred prior to an election, the deacons
chose a replacement. Dr. Sankey Blanton led the deacons to change the by-
laws in 1945, whereby a rotation system was put into place which allowed
more persons the opportunity for service in this position of responsibility.
The number of deacons remained at fifteen but they were annually elected
five at the time, and served for three years before having to rotate off for one
year before becoming eligible for re-election.

Financial stress was rearing its head across America and the Cape Fear
region was not immune in the early 1930s. Still, First Baptist Church kept
the course of providing significant support for global mission causes, lead-
ership within the Wilmington Baptist Association, and security for its pas-
tor. Now debt-free, the congregation sought a suitable house for its pastor
and his family of ten children. Many years had passed since the church
owned a parsonage, but with financial demands affecting everyone, the idea
of providing a home for its pastor seemed prudent. In October, 1930, the
church purchased a house at 117 South Fourth Street, for thirteen thou-
sand dollars that would serve as the new home of Dr. Kester and his fam-
ily.280 The Finance Committee also recommended an increase in salary to
show appreciation for their pastor, but he refused it due to the terrible
shape of the national economy. The congregation abided by his wishes and
followed his suggestion of "keeping the course," when one year later they

126

A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

unanimously approved resolutions committing themselves to fulfilling
similar desires of their founding fathers and mothers (Appendix Eleven).

Believing critical days were ahead for his church and nation, Dr. Kester
proposed that copies of the church covenant be made available to every
member of the church so they could read it in unison on the first Sunday
of each month as an act of worship and a reminder of the high goals to
which they had pledged themselves. The congregation approved its pas-
tor's recommendation and responded by giving eighty-five percent of the
$20,000 budget during a time that few organizations were financially able
to survive. Though the Wilmington church was only the eighteenth largest
Baptist church in the state, in size of membership, it was second in gifts to
missions for that year.281

The budget for 1933 was reduced by two thousand dollars to $18,000 to
reflect the shortage for the previous year. Again, the congregation gave but
eighty-five percent of the budget so it was reduced to sixteen thousand dol-
lars, with one-third going for mission causes in 1934. The Kingdom News
newsletter was reduced from a weekly publication to monthly. The salary
paid to the quartette was lowered and their contract was reduced to lead-
ing music in worship services for eight months annually rather than twelve.
The pastor's salary was lowered by one thousand dollars. The church did,
however, grant Dr. Kester a three month leave of absence during the sum-
mer in order for him to "tour the Holy Lands, witness the Passion Play and
attend the Baptist World Alliance annual meeting in Berlin."282 Dr. J. H.
Foster, the Pastor Emeritus, filled the pulpit in the absence of the pastor.
The budgeted needs were met that year so members of the Finance Com-
mittee increased the budget by four thousand dollars in 1935, in hopes that
better days were ahead. Little did they know that one of the greatest chal-
lenges they ever faced was less than one year away.

Dr. Kester became critically ill in late February of 1936. After being con-
fined to his home for better than a month, he was admitted to James Walker
hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Dr. Bertram Williams remembered
the death of Dr. Kester and the advancements made in medical science
since then. "Antibiotics to treat illnesses like pneumonia had not yet been
discovered in the 1930s."283 On the morning of April 1, after weeks of anx-
iously waiting and praying for God to spare his life, the forty-eight year old
man who had pastored First Baptist longer than any other, exchanged his
earthly mantle for an incorruptible heavenly home. For the past eleven and
one-half years, Dr. Kester and the First Baptist family had climbed many
mountains together, faced dark days with the confidence and hope of the

127

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

light of Jesus Christ, and thought they had overcome life's greatest chal-
lenges. Now, the responsibility for ministering to those in need was placed
squarely on the congregation, whose duty it was to support the wife and chil-
dren of the one who had previously comforted them in their time of need.

The high esteem in which the congregation and community held Dr.
Kester was evidenced by the newspaper articles, resolutions that were
passed, and the throngs that gathered for the celebration and remembrance
of his life. The funeral was conducted by Dr. J.H. Foster, Dr. William H. Mil-
ton (rector of Saint James Episcopal Church at the time) and the pastor of
Temple Baptist Church, Dr. Arthur J. Burton. The service was held at First
Baptist and the interment in Oakdale Cemetery.

First Baptist Church expressed their deepest sympathies and support
for the bereaved family by daily visits with family members, weeks of pro-
viding meals and the establishment of a fund that was used to pay the med-
ical bills incurred during the extended illness of Dr. Kester, and all funeral
expenses. The congregation also provided a gift of seventy-five dollars per
month to the Kester family and allowed Mrs. Kester and her children to
continue living in the parsonage until such time as it was needed by the
church.284 The financial assistance was continued for five years.

As in the unexpected death of Rev. John Lamb Prichard, so it was with
the death of Dr. J. Marcus Kester. First Baptist Church and the city of Wilm-
ington lost a dearly loved and respected Christian leader whose guiding in-
fluence directed a wandering people through some of the most difficult
days in the history of the church and the city.

First Baptist Church had grown to a membership of better than eleven
hundred and had more than seven hundred people enrolled in Sunday
School, but settled itself into the grip of grief and mourning in the days
following the death of their pastor. The hope instilled by the stabilizing
leadership of Dr. Kester began to lapse into but a glimmer as the church
trudged through the doldrums of emotional and economic depression. The
congregation was fortunate to have its Pastor Emeritus, Dr. J.H. Foster, to
once again assume its pulpit and pastoral responsibilities during some of
the most tumultuous days in its history.

In July of 1936 (three months after the death of Dr. Kester), Dr. Sankey
Lee Blanton accepted the call to become the next pastor of the emotionally
exhausted congregation. At only thirty-nine years of age, the scholarly Dr.
Blanton who had the reputation for being a marvelous orator who showed
a marked interest in all people and evinced a depth of compassion peculiar
to few others was just what the Wilmington church needed.

128

A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

Reared in a tiny farming community in Rutherford County, North Car-
olina, young Mr. Blanton traded a plow for an education that included de-
grees from Wake Forest, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Andover
Newton Theological School and Harvard University. He was serving as pas-
tor of Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven, Connecticut, at the time he
accepted the call to First Baptist Church. The Calvary church was made up
of students and faculty members of Yale University, which was adjacent to
the campus. Rev. Olin T. Binkley, who would later become a pastor in
Chapel Hill, and eventually serve as President of Southeastern Baptist The-
ological Seminary, was his associate pastor. After announcing his resigna-
tion to the Calvary church, Dr. Blanton penned a letter to the Wilmington
congregation that included the following words.

I am humbly conscious of the great traditions of consecrated
Christian ministry into which I will enter as your pastor. It is
my earnest prayer that the Spirit may enable me also to serve
worthily as an ambassador of Christ while I am among you. May
the blessings of God be upon our cooperative efforts in His
name.285

Dr. Blanton arrived on September 15 knowing quite well that his pri-
mary agenda for the first several months would be to provide counsel, sup-
port and encouragement to a congregation in mourning. However, his
pastoral care began before he ever left Connecticut by inviting Mrs. Kester's
son, Truett, to spend the summer in the Blanton home with him and Mrs.
Blanton, and their twelve year old son. Mrs. Kester and her son accepted the
offer, and before the summer ended Dr. Blanton sent a letter to Mrs. Kester
offering her the opportunity to continue living in the church parsonage at
his expense during this time of transition for her and her family (Appendix
Thirteen). Mrs. Kester accepted Dr. Blanton's generous offer and chose to
remain in the parsonage on South Fourth Street for another year while Dr.
and Mrs. Blanton rented a home on Third Street. This act of kindness so-
lidified his standing with the Kester family, and offered a preview of Dr.
Blanton's attitude of care that characterized his ministry in Wilmington.

When Dr. Blanton arrived in Wilmington he found an experienced paid
staff that consisted of Mrs. Mary Hanby, financial secretary; and Mrs. Lila
Head, organist. A paid quartette was still leading the congregational singing
but there was no one directing the Christian Education ministry. Two de-
voted members of the laity were serving admirably in the areas of Youth

129

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Ministry — Robert LeGwin, and the promotion of missions — Mrs. John
Stevens. The "Young Peoples Work" was one of the best in the state with an
average attendance of better than one hundred teenagers involved in
weekly discipleship studies.286 The Woman's Missionary Society had an en-
rollment of one hundred sixty-nine. This team of professionals and volun-
teers held the congregation together as they journeyed through the "valley
of death." In an attempt to help the church move beyond their grief and
look to a world that desperately needed what First Baptist had to offer, Dr.
Blanton invited the Baptist State Convention to come to Wilmington for
their annual convention in November of 1937. This proved to be the high-
light of the year for a church that was beginning to look beyond the dark-
ness of despair.

As the church was healing from the loss of its beloved Dr. Kester, the
angel of death paid a second visit to First Baptist Church. This time it was
Daniel Penton, a trusted layman who held every leadership position the
church offered. Like George French, Benjamin Mitchell, C. D. Ellis, and
Alfred Alderman before him, Mr. Penton was another one in a long line of
committed members of the laity whose devotion to Christ, and his church
served as a source of strength, stability and security in days when the
church was with, or without a pastor. After his death, in March of 1939,
the congregation approved the memorial statement that appears as Ap-
pendix Fourteen.

In April of that year, though the annual budget had not been increased
in three years, the church followed the recommendation of Dr. Blanton by
hiring Miss Helen Smith at a salary of fifteen hundred dollars a year. Miss
Smith directed the Music Ministry and assisted the pastor in planning wor-
ship services. A year later the church selected a committee to begin study-
ing the possibility of replacing the existing organ. In June of 1941 the Board
of Trustees approved the purchase of a new four manual organ that con-
tained two thousand eight hundred pipes. The cost of the organ was ten
thousand dollars, six thousand of which was provided as a down payment,
the other four thousand would be paid by the end of the year.287 With the
installation of the new organ, the pastor and Miss Smith encouraged the de-
velopment of a volunteer choir which began the following fall.

In September, Dan Penton, Jr., walking in the footsteps of his father,
presented a recommendation that the church purchase new lighting fix-
tures for the sanctuary. The price quoted was two thousand six hundred
dollars. The congregation unanimously approved the recommendation and
the new fixtures were in place by December.288

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

The October meeting of the deacons brought a recommendation that
the Baptist State Convention be petitioned to explore interest in establish-
ing a church in the vicinity of Sunset Park.289 Shipbuilding was on the rise
with the approach of World War II and the population of Wilmington was
escalating as families relocated to the port city in search of employment at
the ship yard. A report from the superintendent of the Sunday School re-
vealed there were more than four hundred fifty people in attendance each
week. Deacon B.V. Sunofsky, representing the Baptismal Committee, re-
ported there had only been fifteen baptisms in the last twelve months and
attributed the decline as compared to previous years to, "the fact that folks
today don't get 'Old Time Religion' like they once did."290 Mr. WA. Whitney
was recognized for being an usher for fifty years. Dr. Blanton reported, "We
have had one of the best years in the history of the church, with the possi-
ble exception of baptisms, and he looked forward to the future with confi-
dence, courage and a great deal of faith."291 And, well he should.

First Baptist Church gave more than thirty-four thousand dollars in of-
ferings with seven thousand five hundred dollars going to mission causes.
The congregation also established a Fellowship Fund that was used to meet
the financial needs of poor individuals living within the area. They assisted
approximately one hundred fifty in the first twelve months. Names that ap-
peared often in the list of church leaders as 1941 came to a close were Miss
Helen Dobson, Howard Hanby, C. Heide Trask, Mr. and Mrs. J.G. Middleton,
Mr. and Mrs. John Stevens, Miss Margaret Russ, Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Roe, L.F.
Gore, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Cameron, Mr. and
Mrs. J.D. Freeman, and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Boney. The pastor's enthusi-
asm was spilling over to the congregation as they were emerging from the
economic and emotional depression that plagued them since the death of
Dr. Kester. Little did they know what December would bring with the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entrance into World War II.

The guns of war now silenced the rampant rumors of an invasion. The
United States was swept into the maelstrom of a global war and the effects
were felt and seen in this port city. A sudden influx of people serving in the
military, the government, and ship building caused Wilmington's popula-
tion to mushroom from thirty-five thousand to nearly one hundred thou-
sand by the end of the war. The city had grown by fewer than five hundred
people in the previous twenty years. The United States government planned
and developed new neighborhoods for the thousands of workers they were
sending to southeastern North Carolina. One such neighborhood was Lake
Forest where almost five hundred duplex houses were built. Frances Chap-

131

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

pell has lived at Lake Forest since its earliest days. She said, "I often reflect
on the many young children that grew up along the shores of Greenfield
Lake. There were more than three hundred children in the Lake Forest de-
fense housing area in 1942. "292 Without a nearby church to evangelize and
provide discipleship opportunities for the children, First Baptist began en-
tertaining the question of how transportation could be supplied to enable
the children to attend Sunday School.293 When a solution could not be
found, the church began a satellite ministry to the neighborhood. This mis-
sion would eventually become a free-standing church that today goes by the
name of Lake Forest Baptist.

Sunset Park is another neighborhood that developed quickly around
the days of World War II because of its close proximity to the shipyard. The
Baptist State Convention and Wilmington Baptist Association provided the
foundation for a church in that neighborhood in 1941, at the urging of the
deacons of First Baptist. By October of 1942, the new work was growing
quickly so First Baptist began formulating plans to raise three thousand
dollars to help in the construction of the newly formed Baptist church.294
A Letter from Rev. James H. Butler, pastor of the Sunset Park church, dated
January 4, 1944 shows their appreciation.

The year 1943 has made its path across our lives leaving an in-
delible impression of all the good things we have enjoyed. When
we pause to give thanks for all our blessings we cannot help but
mention the kindness of you people of the First Church. Our
hearts are filled with gratitude in your behalf. May we express in
the highest superlatives our deep appreciation for your gifts, co-
operation and prayers during 1943.

We hope to occupy our new building within a month. We are
looking forward to the warmest ties of friendship and fellowship
with the First Church.295

Church membership and contributions rapidly increased as did activi-
ties around the mother church. Wilmington became a serviceman's play-
ground on the weekends as many soldiers came to the coast for recreation
at the beach, socials at the U.S.O., and worshipping with the downtown
churches. Dick Gough recalled having to get to the Y.M.C.A. early in the day
on Saturday in order to reserve a bed for the night. He told of evenings in
Wilmington when the city was so overcrowded with servicemen that they
slept on the ground, in area parks and in the median along Market Street.296

132

A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

Members of First Baptist felt it was a worthwhile project to open their
heart and doors to these men who were serving their country in the mil-
itary, so cots were purchased and arrangements made for Fireside Hall to
be opened as a large Saturday night bedroom and breakfast was served to
the men before worship service on Sunday mornings. The hospitality of
the congregation and the powerful presence of Dr. Blanton caused the
sanctuary of First Baptist Church to fill each Sunday. The eloquence of
the Baptist pastor's sermons was not the only thing that drew crowds to
the church. He may have performed more weddings than any other pas-
tor in town.

In 1942, the choir director and organist resigned their posts creating a
void in the music ministry that was felt for only a short time. Mrs. Lila
Head retired after serving as organist for twenty-five years. Some Sundays
she played while her sons, Tom and Emerson sat on either side of her on
the organ bench. The church decided to take a chance on combining these
two positions when they hired a young man named Henri Emurian who
was a master organist. For the next nine years he shaped the course of the
music department of First Baptist Church by creating an atmosphere of
professionalism in everything he directed or performed. The volunteer
choir became one of the finest in the state.

People across the city came to First Baptist in order to hear Mr. Emurian
play the organ. Mrs. Peggy George told of being a Methodist until the day her
husband Lucius visited First Baptist and heard Henri play. That day, Mr.
George determined he would worship no where else but First Baptist. The
Georges became Baptists shortly thereafter, and Lucius has played the piano
for various gatherings of the church, including worship services ever
since.297 A highlight of the Advent season at First Baptist Church occurs on
the Sunday before Christmas. Lucius George provides a piano concert in
the sanctuary during the Sunday School hour that day. It is his gift to the
congregation and the sanctuary is often filled to capacity. Mrs. George says,
"Lucius has been providing the Christmas concert for over fifty years."298

Henri Emurian is somewhat legendary in the music annals of this his-
toric church, particularly among the forty members who have called First
Baptist "their church" for better than sixty years. The worship services he
directed, weddings and funerals he played for, and concerts and recitals he
performed continue to be remembered fondly. It was Henri who organized
and directed the Wilmington Choral Society, which in conjunction with
the Wilmington Orchestra built a reputation for providing incredible per-
formances in the Cape Fear region.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

The year October 1941 to September 1942, closed with the congregation
contributing more than twenty eight thousand dollars in undesignated of-
ferings and better than ten thousand dollars of it went to mission causes.
Church records indicate the transfer of a number of members who were
called into the armed services but fortunately there was only one reported
casualty within the church family. Dr. Tom Head recalls the Sunday wor-
ship services during World War II that ended with the congregation stand-
ing at attention while Henri Emurian played the national anthem prior to
the pronouncement of the benediction.299

The annual church letter to the Wilmington Baptist Association for the
year ending September of 1943 noted a First Baptist membership of nearly
fifteen hundred. Baptisms were taking place on the last Sunday of every
month. Gifts of better than forty-one thousand dollars were reported. Over
sixteen thousand dollars was given to mission causes. In addition to the
contributions to the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program, the church
also supported Bible teaching in the local schools, Wake Forest College,
Campbell College, and Meredith College, Baptist Children's Homes, Baptist
Hospital, new churches at Sunset Park and Carolina Beach, and Chinese
and Russian relief efforts.300 The report for the following year was almost
identical.

On November 7, 1943, Sunday School attendance exceeded five hun-
dred (513) for the first time in the history of the church. The average at-
tendance for the year was reported as four hundred twenty-two, of the eight
hundred sixty who were enrolled. In the midst of these encouraging nu-
merical gains, Sunday School Superintendent, R.H. Youngblood reported,
"This has been a very hard year; a peculiar one; one in which we have more
or less adjusted ourselves to all out war."301 Little changed in most of the
numbers at First Baptist over the next twelve months, but there was a no-
ticeable decrease in Sunday School attendance. Mr. Youngblood revealed
the reason why: "In spite of the Polio ban our Sunday School has kept a rel-
atively good average attendance of three hundred eighty-one."302 This polio
ban prevented children in Wilmington from participating in Sunday School
during the month of August, 1944.

An important member of Dr. Blanton's staff was Miss Ellen Ray, who
served as director of religious education until her resignation in May of
1945.303 She left Wilmington to assume the same position at First Baptist
in Hickory, N.C. With her departure came an immediate decrease in Sun-
day School attendance which had a negative affect on the finances of the
church. The bulk of the financial contributions to the church were com-

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ing from a small percentage of the membership. While the financial health
of the church could be maintained by this small group of committed givers,
the Finance Committee pointed out the unhealthy condition of the church
when too few members were carrying the majority of the burden for the en-
tire church. Dr. Blanton challenged all the members by reminding them of
those who came before them. If the church intended to continue going for-
ward it would be essential that they do so as a body of believers, not as in-
dividuals.

In the fall of 1945, Leslie Boney, an architect and member of the church,
presented drawings of an expansive building project called the "Greater
Church Building Program."304 The approved idea was that any expansion or
renovation would be undertaken as financial conditions permitted. The
hope was that there would be need for additional space and the financial re-
sources to provide for expansion rather quickly. A building fund was es-
tablished and almost twenty-five thousand dollars was contributed. One
quarter of this money came from the estates of the late R.L. Fox (six thou-
sand dollars) and Mrs. Mary Duguid (one thousand dollars).

Just as momentum was being generated, Dr. Blanton tendered his res-
ignation in April of 1946.305 The offer to become Dean of the religion de-
partment at Wake Forest College was one that Dr. Blanton felt he was called
to accept. In doing so, he gave the Wilmington congregation five months
notice and assured them of his assistance in helping them select his suc-
cessor. On July 8, Rev. Charles A. Maddry accepted the call to become the
next pastor of First Baptist Church. Dr. Blanton's last Sunday was the sec-
ond Sunday in September, his tenth anniversary as pastor. After several
years at Wake Forest, he moved to Chester, Pennsylvania to become pres-
ident of Crozer Theological Seminary. Dr. Blanton returned to Wilmington
in his retirement years and died there in June of 1974.

At thirty-eight years old, Rev. Maddry assumed a responsibility greater
than he had ever faced. Having grown up in Durham, he was returning to his
home state after serving as pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville,
Kentucky for the previous three and one-half years. Charles Maddry was grad-
uated from Mars Hill, Wake Forest, and received a master's degree from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before studying at Yale University
and graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville.306
He was a first-rate preacher having won numerous oratory awards but it was
not his preaching that stood out during his short tenure as pastor of First
Baptist Church. Rev. Maddry thought organizational changes were needed
and he implemented several of them rather quickly.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Rev. Maddry recognized the need to make adjustments to the constitu-
tion and by-laws of the church after six months on the field. In an effort to
expand participation in church leadership, the new pastor encouraged the
congregation to broaden its base by expanding the deacon board by six and
creating the office of "Senior Deacons" for those men who had served for
more than twenty years. The church embraced this change by electing
seven deacons a year to three year terms. The deacons now totaled twenty-
one. Their responsibility was:

To care for the poor, to help the sick especially the indigent sick,
to assist the pastor in the government of the church, to make
provisions for the Lord's Supper, to make suggestions for the
revision of the church roll, to consider all cases of discipline, to
bring such cases before the church if expedient, to report at reg-
ular monthly meetings of the church any matter which atten-
tion should be given.307

Senior deacons had all the duties and responsibilities of a deacon, but
were elected to serve for the rest of their lives unless charges of misconduct
were proven against them. The first senior deacons were J.L. Baldwin, D.L.
Dobson, L.F. Gore, John R. Hanby, J A Orrell, Dr. W.T. Smith, S.B. Tabb, and
J.D. Vann.308

The two most important committees, according to Rev. Maddry — the
Evangelistic Committee and Visiting and Enlistment committee — were
enlarged to include twenty-two and eighteen members, respectively. A
study of the church roll indicated there were one hundred twenty-five
male members between the ages of twenty-five and thirty years old, but
no Sunday School class for them. Wallace West agreed to begin a class
specifically for these men who had joined First Baptist during the war
years, or were returning home to the church after serving in World War
II. This class, formed after the example of a class started by Dr. W.T.
Smith many years earlier, would become one of the largest and most
productive classes in the church. The Smith and West classes merged
in 2001. The Smith class had been in existence for more than one hun-
dred years by then and the West class had been a part of First Baptist for
fifty-five years.

Organizational adjustments suggested by Rev. Maddry were in place by
the close of 1946. The annual report indicates it had been another strong
year for First Baptist Church. The congregation had grown to over fifteen

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

hundred members with the one hundred ten people who joined over the
last twelve months. The treasurer reported almost sixty thousand dollars
had been given in offerings — twelve thousand of it went to the building
fund which had grown to thirty-six thousand dollars. Another sixteen thou-
sand dollars were contributed to mission causes supported by the church.
The enrollment for Sunday School stood at eight hundred sixty, and the av-
erage attendance was now four hundred thirty-five.309 Momentum was
mounting with the mission effort started in Lake Forest and with the sup-
port of the Baptist State Convention. Plans were made to begin working to-
ward starting a new church in the neighborhood that was now erupting
with young couples and their children. With the guidance and dedication
of Edwin B. Josey, Jack Baldwin, and Otto K. Pridgen the dream became a
reality when Lake Forest Baptist Church was established in 1950. Rev.
Maddry was off to a great start in a church that showed potential for be-
coming one of the largest in North Carolina.

A change in the church staff occurred in 1947, with the resignations
of John Chambers as Minister of Education, and Lucille Butler as Church
Secretary. These positions were filled with Miss Margaret Parks as edu-
cational director and Mary Frances Combs became financial secretary
and secretary to the pastor. A decision to remember and celebrate the
past by establishing a 'Temple of Archives" that was started by Mrs. Mol-
lie Smith and Miss Helen Dobson came at the same time the church was
planning for its bright future.310 Thinking there was a growing need for
ministry by members of the diaconate, Rev. Maddry suggested that the
church increase the number of deacons for the second time in as many
years. The number of men serving as deacons was expanded from twenty-
one to twenty-six.

The trustees of Wake Forest College decided to relocate North Car-
olina's first Baptist institute of higher learning from the town from which
it got its name to Winston-Salem. First Baptist was in a financial condi-
tion to have a part in assisting with defraying the expense involved in mak-
ing the move westward. A pledge of five thousand dollars per year for the
next five years was committed and fulfilled. The umbilical cord between
Wake Forest University and First Baptist Church has connected these two
institutions from their fledgling years in the early nineteenth century.

As the year came to a close the congregation expressed its support, con-
fidence and appreciation for Rev. Maddry in the following statement that
was written by Dr. J. H. Foster, Pastor Emeritus, and printed in the King-
dom News.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

One year ago today we welcomed you as our pastor. We knew
the difficulties that lay before you. The war was over. Many who
had united with us during this period we knew would be leaving.
Others, who had not moved their membership with us, were
regular in attendance and liberal in their giving. Many were leav-
ing town. In all seventy-three letters of dismissal were granted
during this year. If we had broken even it would not have been
a bad showing. From September 1, 1947 there were one hun-
dred and eighteen additions by letter and forty-six by baptism,
giving a net increase for the year of ninety-one. From October
1, 1946 to August 1, 1947 our collections amounted to
$50,280.40. The large congregations gathering week after week
bespeak a high appreciation on the part of the church going
public. We are expecting greater progress for the year just be-
ginning and by the grace of God we will help to this end.311

Six weeks later Dr. Foster passed away after a brief illness. He was eighty-
six years old. In 1950, a silver communion service was presented to the
church in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Foster by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hanby.
This is the communion service that continues to be used in worship serv-
ices at First Baptist Church to this day.

The year 1948, brought plans for renovating the existing educational
annex in order to add Sunday School classrooms, a chapel, library, and
to renovate the kitchen. The building fund had grown to almost sixty
thousand dollars but the cost for renovations was over eighty-five thou-
sand. Rev. Maddry initiated periodic "Family Fellowship dinners." The
annual business meeting of the church, held each October, now in-
cluded a turkey dinner prepared by members of the Woman's Mission-
ary Union. In March, Rev. M.E. Slinger was called from Waughtown
Baptist Church in Winston-Salem to serve as assistant pastor for the
growing congregation.

Just when it seemed the pastor and congregation was making substan-
tial progress, Rev. Maddry, in September of 1950, received a call from Tem-
ple Baptist Church in his childhood home of Durham, North Carolina.312
Some members of First Baptist felt the decision to move was made easier
because of conflict between the pastor and organist. Rumors were rampant
that Rev. Maddry's frustration with the colorful Mr. Emurian had escalated
to the point that the pastor could no longer work with the organist.

One month later, Margaret Parks resigned as religious education direc-

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

tor in order to accept the same position at Southside Baptist Church in
Birmingham, Alabama. First Baptist Church went almost a year before call-
ing its next pastor. Dr. 0. L. Powers, a native of Wallace, North Carolina,
filled the pulpit during the interim. "His views based on his vast experi-
ence, his keen wit, and his homely philosophy made the congregation ap-
preciate him all the more."313

By 1951, Wilmington was settling down as World War II was slipping
into the chronicles of American history and becoming a memory for most
Wilmingtonians. The activities at the North Carolina Shipbuilding Com-
pany, Camp Davis, Fort Fisher, and Bluementhal Air Field had subsided.
The city's population had returned to normal settling at forty-five thou-
sand. What was a sleepy town before the war was now a city filled with sto-
ries of how it made a difference in saving the world from destruction. In
March of that year, First Baptist Church called Rev. Randolph Gregory to
be their next pastor. Little did the congregation know that this former mil-
itary chaplain would lead their church for the next quarter of a century.

Rev. Gregory grew up in Norfolk, Virginia and earned a degree in Civil
Engineering from Virginia Military Institute before studying at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania and graduating from Crozer Theological Seminary,
in 1935. Temple Baptist Church in Washington D.C. ordained Randolph as
he assumed his first pastorate in our nation's capital from 1935 until 1941.
Rev. Gregory served as a chaplain in the United States Air Force during
World War II and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel while earning the
Bronze Star and six Battle Stars. He returned to the pastorate after the war
and led Franklin Baptist Church of Franklin, Virginia for five years before
moving to Wilmington.314

The parsonage at 117 South Fourth Street remained empty for almost
one year while First Baptist was without a pastor. During that time the
church determined it would be more feasible to sell the house and pur-
chase a more suitable home. In February, 1951, the house on Fourth Street
was sold for thirteen thousand dollars and "the Sullivan home" at 109 For-
est Hills Drive was purchased for fourteen thousand five hundred dollars.315
This house would serve as the new parsonage of First Baptist Church, and
home to the Gregory's.

Rev. Randolph Gregory, along with his wife, Hilda, and their pre-school
daughters arrived in Wilmington in May. Upon entering their new home
they found the pantry filled with groceries as the Wilmington church ex-
pressed their warmth in receiving the new pastor and his family. This food
would be well-earned in the years ahead as Rev. Gregory would strive to

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

live up to the reputation that preceded his arrival. Church minutes of April
reveal the following remarks:

Mr. H.A. Hanby reported on the very favorable comments that
had been received about our new pastor, Reverend Gregory.
Dr. Clark who preached here during our revival services said
that Reverend Gregory was the only minister he knew that
"had everything." One of the deacons of the Baptist church in
Franklin, Virginia, while on a business trip here, said that Rev-
erend Gregory is the greatest preacher their church has ever
had and that not only the church, but the whole town, is heart-
broken at his leaving. Dr. Adams, pastor of the First Baptist
Church of Richmond, Virginia, told Mr. A.L. Batts that Rev-
erend Gregory is one of the greatest men he has ever known.316

A committed team of deacons greeted the new pastor upon his arrival.
Men like Armon E. Baggett, Howard Hanby, J.G. Middleton, Hugh Noff-
singer, M.L. Rooks, R.L. Williams, Amos Wofford, and Leonard F. Gore had
been guiding the congregation for better than a year and expected Rev.
Gregory to be an enthusiastic pastor with keen leadership skills. Certainly,
this was needed because they had recently lost one of the most devoted lay-
men the church ever had. Dr. W.T. Smith died one month before Rev. Gre-
gory arrived in Wilmington. He had served as a Sunday School teacher,
member of the diaconate, pastor search committees, and as a trustee. He
would be sorely missed by the church and the community. Dr. Tom Head,
whose mother served as church organist from 1917 until 1942, said:

Dr. Smith may have been the most influential man in my life. He
started an orchestra for kids and paid to have instructors teach
us. If there were children who wanted to play but could not af-
ford an instrument, Dr. Smith bought one for them. Perhaps
the greatest motivating factor I ever had was the desire to play
well enough that Dr. Smith would invite me to play in the or-
chestra. I practiced harder than I had ever done anything in my
life because I knew I would get the chance to one day play in
church as a member of Dr. Smith's Bible Class Orchestra.317

On May 7, the church passed a resolution of respect in memory of Dr.
W.T. Smith (Appendix Fifteen).

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

In September, Rev. Gregory took the deacons to the North Carolina Bap-
tist Assembly at Fort Caswell for a weekend retreat to become better ac-
quainted and share his expectations of them. This became an annual
activity of the deacons that has continued into the twenty-first century.
Upon their return the deacons requested, and received approval of the con-
gregation, to enlarge their board to twenty-eight members that would be
elected in teams of seven. Each team was elected to four year terms, rather
than what had been twenty-six members serving three year terms. These
deacons were challenged to:

1. Win at least one hundred fifty new members to the church.

2. Have at least fifty percent of the deacons present at the
Wednesday evening prayer services.

3. Be an active support of the monthly layman's breakfast.

4. Visit regularly the Sunday evening Baptist Training
Union.318

They believed, "If we have the true spirit of Christ and enthusiasm born
of spiritual fellowship one with another, we will be able to more than
achieve our plans."319

November brought a recommendation from the deacons that the
church begin broadcasting the morning worship services twice per month
on the city's only radio station, alternating with another Wilmington
church. The recommendation was unanimously approved for a period of
three years. There was also a motion requesting the hiring of a director of
youth ministry as soon as possible. This motion was approved, as well. The
year came to a close with anticipation that 1952 would be a great year. The
new pastor was well-organized, gaining more respect and confidence of the
congregation with each passing day. He also had an inspired team of dea-
cons demonstrating their commitment to Christ and His church by the
service they were rendering.

The year opened poorly with organist, choirmaster Henri Emurian an-
nouncing his resignation in order to accept a similar position at Park Place
Methodist Church in Norfolk, Virginia.320 For the past nine years, he had di-
rected the music ministry in such a way that the worship services and spe-
cial performances by the choir were unmatched across the city. His ability
to compose music equaled his performance. Tom Head recalled "Henri's
reputation for being a thorn in the side of the pastors he worked with was
true. He seldom had money and had an affinity for staying out late and con-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

suming alcohol."321 Sam Bissette remarked, "Henri was the most colorful
staff member this church ever had. I remember the time he called me at
two o'clock in the morning attempting to recruit me into the choir."322 His
resignation was difficult for the church as well as the city of Wilmington. He
was called on to play for all sorts of events across the city. Ann Brown re-
membered living across the street from the church and being awakened in
the middle of the night by the sound of Henri Emurian playing the organ.

Miss Helen Dobson directed the music and served as organist during
the five month interim before Norman K. Allen became Minister of Music
in July. Several young men were emerging as new lay leaders who were
being mentored by veterans who had seen First Baptist through the diffi-
cult days of the depression and World War II. Rod Croom, Leon Brogden,
Wallace West, C.G. Berry, Waddell Corbett, Ted Davis, Claud Efird, Ransom
Holliday, Chester Jones, Jack Davis, James Swails, Yates Warwick, and W.B.
Lennon were now serving in leadership roles among the men. Miss Nellie
Pickard was stepping away from leading the ministry to children and Emma
Childs and Ruth Nance were stepping forward. Carl Warwick recalled Miss
Nellie always being around the church. "It seems like my mama and daddy
were at church every time the doors were open, when I was a child. And, if
they weren't at church, part of the church was at my house. But, I never
went to church when Miss Nellie wasn't there."323 Barbara Guy said, "The
highlight of the year for us was Children's Day. Miss Nellie put forth more
time and energy to make us look the best we could when the children lead
the service on Children's Day."324 Ruth Clayton remembered, "Miss Nellie
decorated the front of the church with huge flowers, trees, even caged birds
on Children's Day."325 The children who sat under the care and teaching of
Miss Nellie Pickard continue to sing the songs they learned from her. She
touched their lives in an unforgettable way.

Mollie Smith and Mrs. John Stevens continued as steady guides for the
Woman's Missionary Union which was now involving more than two hun-
dred ladies. Ladies participated in local mission projects every week and
provided educational activities concerning missions for men, women and
children. The ladies also continued to update and beautify the parlor where
they met for Sunday School, missions meetings and social functions. The
monthly meetings of the diaconate were also held in this room.

By the end of 1953, First Baptist Church was operating like a well-oiled
machine. Rev. Paul Beam had been called to serve as Minister of Educa-
tion. As an organizer of adults and willing worker with teenagers, the
groundwork was being laid for a bright future for First Baptist leaders. A

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

kindergarten was begun to meet the needs of Wilmington residents who
worked downtown and desired to have their children cared for by Christian
adults in a church setting. Emma Williams and Mrs. Thomas Lawther did
a remarkable job beginning and directing this ministry for many years.
Sunday School attendance was growing faster than space could be pro-
vided. Fortunately, the church was able to negotiate a rental agreement
with the City of Wilmington that allowed First Baptist to use the vacant
Wilmington Light Infantry Armory located next door to alleviate the good
problem they were experiencing.

Rev. Gregory's eloquence in the pulpit caused the sanctuary to be filled to
capacity on a regular basis. He was now wearing a ministerial robe each time
he entered the pulpit which fit the traditional order of worship that was cus-
tomary of First Baptist Church. His reputation for being a profound speaker
was beginning to spread across the state such that invitations to lead revivals
were being received from other churches and speaking requests were com-
ing from Campbell, Meredith, Mars Hill and Wake Forest Colleges. The fi-
nances of the church were stronger than ever. Deacon Dan Penton, Jr.,
remarked that 1953, "was one of the greatest years our church has ever ex-
perienced, both spiritually and financially; commended Mr. Gregory, for the
excellent job he was doing; and requested all the deacons to give him their
full support."326

Rev. Gregory continued reminding the laity that they must ask them-
selves daily: "1) Is our church better spiritually because of me? 2) Is my
community better because of me? 3) Is my home better because I have been
true to Jesus Christ? 4) Have I lived in such a manner that my neighbors
have called me "Christian?"327 He also led the deacons to initiate a "Junior
Deacon Board" for men between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. These
young men would serve along with the deacons playing the role of mentor.
The one-year trial period for this new ministry was begun in 1955.328 Leon
Todd, John Clayton, Sam Bissette, Dr. Bertram Williams, Norvelle Long-
horne, Kenneth Biggs, Herbert Fisher, O.K. Pridgen, Jr., Jere Freeman, and
Julian Tusch were a few of the fourteen men chosen for the first group.
This special designated position of the diaconate for young men was simi-
lar to the "Deacon Emeritus" distinction for older men, put in place in May
of 195 1.329 This position of honor was bestowed on deacons who had ad-
mirably served the congregation for many years and were at a point
whereby they felt it better to retire from serving. W.A. Whitney and D.C.
Marshall were two of the first people elevated to this honorable position.
"Deacon Emeritus" members have continued to be installed and honored

143

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

to this day. The "Junior Deacon" ministry was dissolved in 1961, when the
church began electing deacons who were under the age of thirty-five.

Growth continued in all areas of the church during the next few years.
A staff change occurred in March, 1954, when Norman Allen resigned as
Minister of Music and was replaced by Douglas Rafter. Space continued to
be an issue as church membership and attendance continued to climb. To
alleviate part of the problem, the family of Waddell Corbett purchased for
the church a small two-apartment house then adjacent on Fifth Street.
This building became the temporary classroom home for teenagers and
young adults. A renovation of the existing educational annex and the sanc-
tuary took place in 1956.

Without and within, the original sanctuary underwent repair
and treatment. Slate that originally covered the spires was re-
placed by copper. T\vo windows which in the original had been
outside windows fronting the north on either side of the pulpit
were replaced by a solid wall. All the woodwork was sanded to its
original state, and a natural stain placed on it. The re-decorated
sanctuary — with its renovated entry and vestibule, its improved
organ and choir space, and its new lighting system — was truly
a work of restoration. Mr. Gregory preached and Douglas L.
Rafter directed the choir as they worshipped down at the old
Manor Theater while the work was in progress. 330

The renovation of the sanctuary included the addition of the first air
conditioning system.

The unified budget for 1956 exceeded one hundred thousand dollars for
the first time in the history of the church. Twenty-two percent of the budget
was designated for missions, but First Baptist was about to expand their
local appeal through a new mission venture. Back in the newly renovated
sanctuary, the church decided to take their morning worship services into
the homes of Wilmingtonians by going on television. After several years of
broadcasting the services on the airwaves, the deacons felt it was time to ex-
pand this home mission project.

A Maundy Thursday candlelight communion service and Good Friday
Tenebrae service was held during Holy Week, 1956, at the urging of the
pastor. These special services were well-attended, provoked a new spiritu-
ality within the congregation, and have continued to this day. Even with the
announcement of the resignation of Douglas Rafter as Minister of Music,

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

the Easter services carried a new enthusiasm like First Baptist had not pre-
viously enjoyed. Mr. Rafter was succeeded by R. Elliott Brock who began on
January 1, 1957. Miss Helen Dobson again filled the vacancy by serving as
organist and choir director during the seven month interim.

In July of that same year, Rev. Paul Beam resigned from his post in
order that he may begin serving as Minister of Education at River Road
Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia.331 While the church regretted to
hear of Rev. Beam's decision to leave, and there was a certain disap-
pointment in losing such a capable leader who had moved the Sunday
School, Church Training, and Youth ministries to new heights, the con-
gregation stayed the course of continuing to look for new ways to expand
their ministry. The opportunity came in the fall of the year when a team
began to investigate the possibility of beginning a new mission on the
north side of Wilmington in a community called Murrayville. Claud Efird
led the exploration effort for better than a year before Eugene Bullard
brought the motion that First Baptist provides support for beginning a
new church at Murrayville.332 After unanimously approving the motion,
the commitment was made to provide a portion of the pastor's salary and
housing allowance for the first five years, and underwrite the cost of con-
structing the first unit of the building at an amount not to exceed fifteen
thousand dollars. By October, 1958, the Murrayville Mission had become
an additional outpost in the ministry of First Baptist Church.

In addition to this local mission project, the church determined to be-
come more active in the support of international missions by adopting a
foreign missionary. The person they chose to support with the Lottie Moon
Christmas offering was Miss Mary Hester Powell. Miss Powell served in
Nigeria through the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board. Her con-
nection to First Baptist was that she was the niece of Louise Turner, a mem-
ber of the church. Financial and prayer support, along with letters from
members of the congregation, were provided to Miss Powell. She visited
Wilmington often and provided reports of her mission field activities when
home on furlough.

The first deacon's meeting of 1957 found Rev. Gregory challenging this
team of lay leaders like never before. In anticipation of the celebration of
the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the church, Rev. Gregory asked the
deacons to lead the entire congregation in an eighteen month period of in-
tensive evangelism across Wilmington. He also pointed out the need for
additional parking spaces and room for Sunday School expansion. It was
the pastor's opinion that,

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

This church can remain at its present location for the next one
hundred years and continue to grow as the community grows if
the following conditions are met:

(a) Sufficient space for Sunday School is obtained;

(b) Sufficient parking space provided;

(d) Church program is kept up to date.333

At the time of this writing, there has been no increase in the number of
parking spaces in the small lot behind the church, but the acquisition of the
former home of Dr. J. Buren Sidbury and the purchase of the former Wilm-
ington Light Infantry Armory has allowed for additional Sunday School class-
rooms. The parking issue continues to haunt the church almost fifty years
later even with the additional seventy-eight spaces in the parking garage that
came with the church purchasing the former New Hanover County Law En-
forcement Center (now called the Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center) in 2003.

The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, was made special in 1957, when
Rev. Gregory introduced a new element into the worship service. On May
26, an insertion in the worship service included a time to remember those
members of the church who had died in the last twelve months. Their
names were called and family members stood as the deceased and their liv-
ing relatives were remembered in a special prayer. That began a tradition
that has remained to this day. Each Memorial Day Sunday, the names of
those who have died in the last year are called and a member of their fam-
ily brings forth a long-stemmed red rose in their memory. The roses are
then placed in a vase to serve as the centerpiece on the communion table
for that day. Tears of joy, sorrow, and love are always shed in this special
service of celebration and remembrance.

By summer, Rev. Gregory was concerned that the growth of the church
was causing the congregation to become impersonal for some. He recom-
mended that the annual church picnic be replaced by a church wide fish fry
and encouraged the deacons to be intentional about introducing them-
selves to people they did not know. This gathering exceeded everyone's ex-
pectation when approximately six hundred fifty people attended.334 The plan
to bring the church together to meet one another became a celebration of
who First Baptist was and all that they were accomplishing in the com-
munity. The only negative thing that resulted from the activity surfaced
when one deacon later reported he had heard that some of the young peo-
ple were dancing at the fish fry and had planned to have a church-sponsored

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dance for the next social. His suspicions were never realized and it was
thought this was a rumor that originated from a "Fun Frolics" event that
included "folk games to the tune of music," planned by the teenagers.

Carl Warwick fondly remembered having dances at the church when
he was a teenager, though the word in most ecclesiastical circles was that
Baptists did not dance.

Charlie English remembered that fish fry and the subsequent church
wide gatherings that have followed. However, he regrets that the annual
picnic was replaced.

The annual picnic was always held at Wrightsville Beach and if
you were a regular attendee in Sunday School you got to go.
Times were different than they are now. The church was the cen-
ter of everything. The only social life anyone had was at the
Y.M.C.A. or the church. It seemed every member of the church
was the same back then — poor, and though it was only a few
miles away, we only went to the beach once a year — the day of
the Sunday School picnic. We would all gather downtown and
ride the trolley to the Lumina. There were usually about a hun-
dred of us. The church took large drums of lemonade and sand-
wiches. We would stay all day long and return home terribly
sunburned. But, the memories of the day were so good you
never wanted to miss a day of Sunday School.335

Food was a part of most First Baptist gatherings in the sixties and seven-
ties, and two ladies who did a lot of it were Olivia Warwick and Hazel Efird.
These two ladies were great cooks whose reputations spread throughout the
church family when they began serving meals for the annual deacon dinner.
Soon, the business conferences included a prepared meal by members of the
expanding "Kitchen Committee." Sometimes there were as many as three
hundred people at the annual business conference and Rev. Gregory wanted
everyone fed. Sally Brogden recalled, "An impatient Mr. Gregory would wan-
der through the kitchen asking when everything was going to be done so we
can eat. The whole time he was stealing a taste of whatever he could find."336
It is anyone's guess how many meals Olivia Warwick and Hazel Efird pre-
pared for church gatherings. These two ladies were still baking treats for
members of the church well into the 1990s. They were also sharing family
recipes and teaching young brides how to prepare special meals.

1958 was a year of celebration and remarkable advancement for First

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Baptist Church. The year began with Dr. Bertram Williams recommending
that the church purchase the Beery property between Fourth and Fifth
streets on the south side of Market Street. Upon completion of the pur-
chase, the house was used as Sunday School space for teenagers. It would
eventually become known as the YAC (Youth Activities Center). There could
have been no better name for this historic house that was transformed into
one of the busiest buildings in Wilmington. It was the first step toward the
dream of having an on-going activity center like the one on Independence
Boulevard that the church now owns and operates.

A spiritual apex came in the spring of the year when Dr. Baker James
Cauthen, executive secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern
Baptist Convention, came to First Baptist to lead a revival. The worship
services were bathed in prayer. Home prayer meetings were hosted by one
hundred church members for several weeks preceding the revival. Rev. Gre-
gory designated May 4, as "High Attendance Day" for the Sunday School
and set a goal of having eight hundred in attendance. There is no evidence
that the goal was achieved. Mrs. Hilda Gregory recalled an attendance of
seven hundred forty on that day and that thirty-nine new members were re-
ceived into the church.337 The result of the revival was a spirit of re-dedi-
cation that permeated the membership of the church. This series of
meetings was followed by special activities and services celebrating the one
hundred fiftieth anniversary of the church. Mrs. Sidney Jones wrote and di-
rected a pageant involving a cast of at least one hundred people, re-enact-
ing highlights of First Baptist's history. A historical marker in front of the
church was unveiled and dedicated as a part of the celebration. That marker
stood along Market Street, until falling victim to the winds of hurricane
Fran in 1996.

The addition of Rev. Jack Hasty as Minister of Education proved to be a
good move for the congregation. His keen organizational skills were vital
to assimilating new and inactive members who were returning to the
church. The membership stood at better than sixteen hundred by year's
end, and more than one thousand members were enrolled in Sunday
School. Five hundred seventy-five people attended Sunday School on a
weekly basis. Anticipating future growth, a committee was appointed to
begin studying the feasibility of purchasing any nearby property that be-
came available as well as the possibility of erecting an addition to the edu-
cational building. Additionally, Dr. Robert Fales, John Stevens, Sally
Brogden, Waddell Corbett and Bruce Cameron were appointed "to investi-
gate the possibility of securing ten or more acres of land in future planned

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residential areas in New Hanover County, which would be an area that
would not be served by an existing Baptist Church."338

Christmas brought another worship service that has become a tradi-
tion of the church. For many years the church met for worship on Christ-
mas morning with a breakfast preceding the service. They did the same
thing on Thanksgiving morning. In 1958, the pastor recommended that
the Christmas day service be replaced by a Christmas Eve candlelight com-
munion service. It was well-received the first year and has grown to the
point that since 2004, there are three candlelight communion services held
on Christmas Eve.

In 1959, the Atlantic Coastline Railroad announced plans to transfer its
Wilmington offices to Jacksonville, Florida. The expansive railroad com-
pany was one of the largest employers in the Cape Fear region and many
of those in upper management relocated. Hourly employees were forced
to seek jobs elsewhere. The effect on the membership of First Baptist
Church resulted in the transfer of seventy-eight families.339 One hundred
fifty-six members moved out of Wilmington in 1961. The sanctuary was
filled for most morning worship services prior to the relocation of the At-
lantic Coastline Railroad offices. The average attendance in Sunday School
peaked at five hundred ninety-three in 1960. There was an immediate de-
crease of twenty percent the following year. The move had a dramatic effect
on Wilmington and the First Baptist Church. Community and ecclesiasti-
cal leaders moved southward and so did the attendance at gatherings of
First Baptist Church.

By the end of 1961, the educational building was in need of major re-
pair. Parts of the building had nothing appreciable done to them since the
erection of the complex in the early 1920s. An appointed committee ex-
amined the condition of every room in the building and concluded repairs
and renovations were needed in every room except the sanctuary, chapel
and parlor. Forty thousand dollars was pledged to make the physical ad-
justments. The money was to be paid over the following two years, and it
was. While giving continued to be a strong point for the church, member-
ship was continuing to decrease. The resident membership had fallen to
eleven hundred by the end of the year. The average attendance in Sunday
School had decreased to four hundred sixty. The good news for the year
came in the form of the gift of a house at Wrightsville Beach from Mr. and
Mrs. J.E. McWatty. The house at # 6 Bermuda Drive became a center of
summertime activity for Sunday School classes, members of the youth
group, ladies in the WMU held luncheon meetings and men of the church

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

gathered there for oyster roasts and shrimperoos. A note in the church
minutes indicates the McWatty beach house was used on fifty-eight occa-
sions in 1962 and additional activities were planned for '63.340

In August of 1962, the church called Walter Ross to be its new Minister
of Music.341 His salary was five thousand dollars, but as organist he was al-
lowed to use the organ to teach private lessons in order to supplement his
salary. Mr. Ross served the church until July of 1965. Miss Helen Dobson
directed the music for several months following the departure of Mr. Ross
and the arrival of Warren Coker in 1966.

The team that was assigned the task of finding vacant property around
Wilmington that could be purchased for the future expansion of the church
got the break they were looking for in January of 1963. In a lunch meeting
at the Cape Fear Club with Hugh McRae, the four-man team negotiated
the purchase of eight acres between Oleander Drive and Shipyard Boule-
vard for forty thousand dollars. These were two of Wilmington's primary
thoroughfares at the time. A new school was being built on adjacent prop-
erty and there were plans to widen Independence Boulevard that would
connect Oleander and Shipyard, Developers also planned for neighbor-
hoods to be built around the property.

When the men reported their finding to the church, the congregation
had many questions. After months of discussing the matter, Bruce
Cameron assured the congregation that they should buy the property, if
only to hold it for a few years and then resell if they determined the land
could not benefit the church's plan for outreach. On February 28, 1964,
the church voted to purchase eight acres bordered by Canterbury Road,
Fordham Road and Independence Boulevard by borrowing forty thousand
dollars.342 This decision provided more avenues for growth, and created
more tension within the congregation than anyone could imagine. Sam
Bissette remembered:

Some members were hesitant to vote for the purchase be-
cause they were fearful there was a move afoot to relocate the
church. Downtown Wilmington was suffering through "White
Flight." Surrounding neighborhoods were changing from well-
kept historic homes with manicured lawns to boarding houses
and low-rent apartments for people who didn't match the pro-
file of potential church members. Some members voted to pur-
chase the property in the suburbs as a means of security for the
future of the church. Some people affirmed the work of the com-

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mittee and voted in favor of making the purchase because they
saw the potential for birthing yet another church like the oth-
ers First Baptist started in the last fifty years.343

Each faction had its own reason for agreeing to the purchase and First
Baptist Church is still reaping the benefits of the decision that was made
on a cold February night in 1963.

Two months later, another opportunity for expanding their property
came before the church when Dr. Buren Sidbury informed Rev. Gregory
that he wanted to talk about selling his house to First Baptist. Rev. Gregory
began planting a seed with the aged physician a year earlier. Now in de-
clining health, Dr. Sidbury inquired of the interest the church would have
in purchasing his house. Dr. Sidbury asked that the church pay him ten
thousand dollars per year for three years, and allow him to continue living
in a small part of the three story structure for one year. Dr. Sidbury also
agreed to return one thousand dollars a year to the church as a donation.

A team was appointed to study downtown real estate to determine if the
church wanted to accept Dr. Sidbury 's proposal. Their determination was
that Dr. Sidbury was asking too much for the house because comparable
structures were selling for half of what he was asking. As in most real es-
tate transactions, the church's decision hinged on the fact that Dr. Sid-
bury's property adjoined the church property. On April 15, the church voted
to purchase the property for thirty thousand dollars but there were many
who wondered if it was a good decision. Where would the church get the
additional money to buy the house when it had just borrowed forty thou-
sand dollars for other property? The vote passed with sixty-nine members
voting in the affirmative and fifty-one opposed.344

Arrangements were made to pay Dr. Sidbury one thousand dollars
down and an additional ten thousand dollars on December 15 of 1964,
'65, and '66. Sunday School classes began meeting in the house in May,
1964. The purchase agreement took a fortunate turn in favor of the
church when Dr. Sidbury sent a letter to the deacons in June of 1965 re-
questing that all future payments be deferred as long as the church
agreed to name the house after his deceased father.345 Dr. Bertram
Williams said he remembered Dr. Sidbury remarking, "The annual pay-
ments are to be deferred until I inform you that I need the money, and he
never asked the church to make another payment."346 The trustees ac-
cepted the request and generosity of the retired Pediatrician. Today a por-
trait of Dr. Sidbury adorns the wall just inside the front door of the house.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

In the eighteen years that this writer has been a member of the ministe-
rial staff at the church I have never heard the house referred to as any-
thing other than the "Sidbury House."

In December of 1965, the church was informed that their contract to
televise Sunday morning worship services was coming to an end. In light
of the ineffective outreach results of this ministry and a report that few of
the homebound members were taking advantage of this ministry, the
church decided to discontinue the broadcast.347

Average Sunday School attendance continued spiral ing downward until
it stabilized at three hundred seventy-five in 1966.348 The budget was met
each year, but it remained stagnant, for First Baptist Church lost nearly
three hundred members in eight years. Few changes occurred in the lead-
ership positions of the diaconate or the committees of the church. Receiv-
ing new members was a rare occasion. Young couples were difficult to find
around the church, and teenagers were almost non-existent. The report of
the Youth committee that appeared in the annual Book of Reports for 1967
read:

Members of the Youth Committee for 1967 were as follows:

Miss Barbara Lineberger, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Beck, Mr. and
Mrs. Mike Seale. During the course of the year, both couples, the
Becks and the Seales, moved from Wilmington and Miss
Lineberger's resignation as chairman was accepted. For these rea-
sons the committee as such did not function during the year.349

The morale of the church had changed drastically. The effect on down-
town Wilmington was just as great.

In the early 1960s, the Committee of 100, a civic committee of
the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, sought to attract busi-
nesses to the area; and by the middle of the decade several in-
dustries set up divisions of their companies here, among them
General Electric, DuPont, Carolina Nitex, Herco-Fina, Babcock
and Wilcox, and Corning. Having to turn to wider interests made
Wilmington citizens work all the harder for their schools, com-
munity projects, and their churches.350

The annual business conference was held on January 25, 1967. The pri-
mary topic of conversation centered on where the new organ should be

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placed in the sanctuary. The three expressed opinions were: 1) the balcony
in the back of the sanctuary; 2) the same location as the previous organ
which was in the gallery above the pulpit; and 3) the pulpit level in the
front of the sanctuary. The recommendation of the organ builder, Schantz
Organ Company of Orrville, Ohio, was that the new organ be installed in the
rear balcony of the church. The recommendation of the committee (Wad-
dell Corbett, Jere Freeman, Granville Ryals, Jack Sneeden, Harold W. Wells,
Jr., and Dr. Bertram Williams) was influenced by architect, Charles Boney,
who suggested the rear of the balcony. However, consensus could not be
found among the members of the congregation. After taking a secret bal-
lot vote, the one hundred seventy-six members present voted to install the
organ in the front of the sanctuary in the choir loft above the pulpit, by a
vote of one hundred thirty-three to forty-three.

The new organ was installed in March of 1968, at a cost of seventy-five
thousand dollars. The church had over half of the money in a fund that was
started several years earlier. Because there was a need to make renovations
to the educational building at the time the organ was to arrive, the trustees
chose to borrow seventy thousand dollars from a local bank in order to pay
for the organ and complete the building renovations. The debt was inte-
grated into the annual budget and paid over the following three years. The
Smith Bible class took on a personal project of refurbishing a basement
room in the Sidbury House that they would use as their classroom. What
had been a damp dungeon was transformed into useable space when the
men installed a suspended ceiling, electric heat, new carpeting, and paneled
the walls. This room has remained theirs since the renovation.

The organ was dedicated in a special worship service in May of 1968.
It amazes this writer that the congregation made the decision to make
such an expensive purchase during a time when the church, and much
of Wilmington, was still reeling from the loss of the Atlantic Coastline
Railroad. The four-manual organ has almost three thousand pipes that
are divided into five divisions. Their size ranges from thirty-two feet to
the size of a pencil. Those who have played the organ speak of the in-
credible instrument as though they are privileged to have the oppor-
tunity to play it.

One month after dedicating the new Schantz organ, the congregation
decided to cancel Sunday evening worship services during the months of
June, July, and August, in lieu of adding a service at 9:00 a.m. The reason
given was that attendance at morning worship services increased and
evening worship attendance decreased in the summer. Their hope was that

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the additional service would entice more people to attend worship before
engaging in other activities on Sunday afternoons during the summer. This
change lasted for only one year.

A special gift was presented to the trustees of First Baptist Church when
they were informed, in June, that Mrs. Howard (lone Foster) Hanby had do-
nated a house and lot at Sixteenth and Chestnut streets, with the under-
standing that it be sold and the proceeds used for a suitable memorial to her
late husband.351 The Hanbys did not have children of their own so Mr.
Hanby adopted all the boys of First Baptist by teaching their Sunday School
class. In remembering Mr. Hanby, Charles English said:

All the young boys looked forward to joining Mr. Hanby's Sunday
School class. He loved us as though we were his own. Mr. Hanby
owned a candy store downtown and always had a piece for the
boys in his class. Once a year he invited all the boys down to the
store and allowed us to fill a large bag with all the candy we could.
I don't remember the Bible lessons he taught us but I remember
him teaching me how to love everyone like he did.352

Dr. Bertram Williams said, "Mr. Hanby was the most influential man in
my life when I was a young boy."353

T\vo months after receiving the gift from Mrs. Hanby, the church sold
their Wrightsville Beach cottage at # 6 Bermuda Drive for twenty-seven
thousand dollars. The proceeds from the sale of the property were placed
in a new trust fund designated for future construction.354 Most houses at
Wrightsville Beach are valued at better than one million dollars today.

In addition to selling property in 1968, First Baptist Church also gave
away a piece of property. A service celebrating the growth of the Murrayville
Baptist Mission was conducted on December 1. As a part of the service,
James Swails, representing First Baptist Church, presented the deed for
the land and buildings, and the right hand of fellowship to the pastor of
the newly constituted Murrayville Baptist Church, another daughter
church of First Baptist. This church has grown to the point that its atten-
dance matches the average number of worshippers of First Baptist Church.
The church calls itself Northside Baptist Church. It plans to expand its fa-
cilities on the one hundred acre tract of land they have purchased along
North College Road.

In April of 1967, Warren Coker, the organist-choirmaster, resigned his
position to enter the United States Army, and once again Miss Helen Dob-

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

son was leading the music program of the church and directing the twenty
member Chancel Choir from the organ console.355 It was November of 1968
before she was relieved of duty. At that time, the church called Arnold
Briggs as its new Minister of Music.

A capable organist, Mr. Briggs also directed the Chancel Choir and
attempted to resurrect a music program that had suffered greatly dur-
ing the recent lean years for the church. He found but a remnant for the
youth and children's choirs upon his arrival. It took years of hard work
to establish a graded program of music, and even then there was little to
show in the youth and children's choirs. Possibly, one thing that ham-
pered Mr. Biggs' effectiveness was that he never joined the church. His
failing to make a commitment to the congregation was an indication
that he understood his role to be that of an employee rather than a mem-
ber of the church family. Arnold Briggs came to First Baptist after spend-
ing thirteen years directing the music of Washington Street United
Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. For the next seventeen years,
he led the music ministry of First Baptist Church. He was a gifted or-
ganist that enhanced the worship services of First Baptist through his
playing and the direction he provided for the Chancel Choir but there
were few children or teenagers that participated in the music ministry
of the church.

The year 1969 began with the news that a lighted stained-glass win-
dow would be installed in the front wall of the sanctuary directly above
the choir loft. The window was presented as a gift from Mrs. Hanby in
memory of her husband, Howard. The cost of the window and its instal-
lation was paid for from the proceeds of the sale of the Chestnut Street
property Mrs. Hanby donated to the church. The sale of the property re-
alized over seven thousand dollars. The beauty of the window depicting
the last supper of Jesus with his disciples attracts the eyes of worshippers
as soon as they enter the sanctuary. It is appropriate that an object that
demands the attention of everyone entering First Baptist Church would
be the gift memorializing someone who for years worked to bring glory
to God, not attention to himself.

The church also received two generous donations of stock from Mr. and
Mrs. Waddell Corbett early in the year. Like Howard and lone Hanby, Wad-
dell and Bitsy loved First Baptist Church and gave of themselves to support
the mission and ministry whenever they perceived a need occurred that
they could assist in meeting. Their quiet unassuming manor spoke vol-
umes when it came to furthering the Kingdom of God.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

A "Church Planning Committee" was appointed in 1969, to determine
the advantages and disadvantages of erecting a new educational building on
the site of the existing one. If it was not feasible to build downtown, an op-
tion would be to build an entire new church plant on the eight acre site on
Independence Boulevard. The sixteen members of the committee faced the
greatest building challenge posed to the church since the decision to move
from Front Street to Fifth and Market. Downtown Wilmington was being
abandoned by most businesses and many homeowners. Bars and night
clubs replaced retail shops while historic homes were being ignored and
falling into disrepair. "White Flight" was becoming more pronounced as
First Baptist transitioned from a neighborhood church to a church that
met downtown on Sundays, but lived in the suburbs. Southside Baptist had
already moved from downtown leaving First Baptist as the only Baptist
church, and one of the few churches period, that remained downtown.

By the fall, the committee had weighed the positives and negatives to
staying downtown. Both the Independence Boulevard property and the
site at Fifth and Market streets were found to have challenges and op-
portunities. Meetings that lasted late into the night revealed strong opin-
ions from both sides of the issue. Finally, the committee agreed that they
would not bring a recommendation before the church, but that the con-
gregation would have to discuss and decide the future location of First
Baptist. O.K. Pridgen brought the motion at a September business con-
ference that "the First Baptist Church be and remain in perpetuity at the
present location at the corner of Fifth and Market streets."356 The meet-
ing was adjourned without a vote on the motion after extensive discus-
sion. Two weeks later, at another business conference, there was
considerable discussion from no fewer than twenty-five members. The
majority of questions asked were directed to Chester Jones, chairman of
the church planning committee.

Jack Sneeden brought a motion that the church maintain the down-
town buildings and campus, but that a building be erected on the Inde-
pendence Boulevard property that contained a chapel and space for an
on-going Sunday School. Mr. Sneeden's motion brought questions that
were pertinent to his idea, but the original motion from Mr. Pridgen was
the one that was to be voted on. Before the evening ended a vote was taken
on the Pridgen motion and the decision of those present was that the
church would remain downtown by a vote of one hundred fifty-four to
sixty-eight.357

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension
Chairman Jones then presented the following motion that passed easily.

I move that the Pastor, the Chairmen of the Board of Deacons,
Board of Trustees and Finance Committee, get together as soon
as possible and name two committees, to work together. One
should be a Building Committee to start plans for a new Edu-
cational Building at our present location. The other a New Prop-
erty Committee to ascertain as completely and quickly as
possible, what nearby property can be acquired for parking pur-
poses, and then report to the church for action.358

The appointed Building Committee had forty members and was co-chaired
by Dr. Jimmy Smith and Tommy Johnson with Bud Davis serving as vice-
chairman. Roy Armstrong was chosen to chair the seven-member New Prop-
erty Committee. The following day an article appeared in the Wilmington Star
News expressing relief and informing the community that the historic First
Baptist Church had decided not to abandon downtown. Rev. Gregory wrote
Appendix Sixteen in the Kingdom News following the meeting.

The close of the sixties found First Baptist venturing into a new area of
outreach ministry. The church purchased a 1954, Ford bus for five hundred
dollars. The bus would eventually be used by the pastor's wife to begin a bus
ministry. Hilda Gregory directed the ministry and drove the temperamental
bus to outlying areas and inner-city housing developments to provide a means
of transportation to attend church functions for children who did not have
such. First Baptist was reaching out in new directions to spread the good news
of Christ and to grow its declining Sunday School. Why would a woman nearly
fifty years old take such a risk? One of her contemporaries said:

Because Hilda Gregory was the hardest working woman I ever
met. She did whatever it took to get people in church. Hilda
used to sit in the balcony and look for visitors. When she saw
someone she didn't recognize, she would hurry down the stairs
and introduce herself as soon as the service ended. Then, she
invited them to come to Sunday School the following week.359

Ann Brown recalled, "Mrs. Gregory broke Southern Baptist Sunday
School rules by starting the first couples' class the church ever had. Men
and women did not meet together for Bible study at First Baptist but Mrs.
Gregory changed that to reach others."360

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

However, by year's end, the average attendance in the Sunday School
had dwindled to three hundred forty.

Downtown Wilmington was not a safe place in those days. Racial tension
resulted in curfews. The historic Bellamy Mansion across the street from
the church was set ablaze one evening. The Saint Thomas Catholic Church
was burned. Robberies and assaults were common place.

In February 1971, Wilmington, North Carolina, trembled on the
edge of race war. Buildings burned every night. White vigilantes
roared through the city, spraying bullets at black citizens. Black
snipers fired at police officers from rooftops downtown. Six hun-
dred frightened National Guard troops patrolled the streets.
Racial violence in the hallways of newly integrated public
schools threatened to bring public education to a halt.361

Frances Chappell remembered, "The church assigned deacons the task
of walking the halls of the educational building during worship services to
make sure the building remained secure."362 Rev. J.C. Thomas recalled the
attendance at Sunday evening worship services declining from one hundred
thirty to less than twenty-five.363

The decade of the seventies began with an enlarged diaconate. One ad-
ditional deacon was added to each four-year class bringing the total to thirty-
two. Leaders of the laity at the start of the new decade included Kenan
Maready, Tommy Johnson, Hilda Gregory, Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Doss, Mr. and
Mrs. Leon Brogden, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Davis, Percy Hedquist, Mr. and Mrs.
Claud Efird, Granville Ryals, Dr. Jimmy Smith, Roy Armstrong, Bud Davis,
Mr. and Mrs. Yates Warwick, Waddell Corbett, Chester Jones, Helen Dob-
son, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Nofsinger, Dr. Bertram Williams, Mollie Smith, Ken-
neth Biggs, Dr. Robert Fales, Herbert Fisher, Morris Powell, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles English, Mr. and Mrs. John Clayton, Jack Sneeden, Betty Stike, Sam
Bissette, Mr. and Mrs. Pat Warren, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Williams, Mr. and
Mrs. Gene Brown, and Mr. and Mrs. Wallace West to name a few.

Racial discord in Wilmington forced First Baptist to suspend their Sun-
day night and Wednesday evening activities. Louise Fisher and Sally Eng-
lish started a prayer meeting that met at noon each Wednesday. The
program consisted of a light lunch being served, a hymn was sung, a de-
votional thought was shared by the pastor, and prayers were lifted up for
God's people. Retired church members, those who did not work outside
their homes and members who worked downtown gathered for the unique

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service. It continues to this day though it is now held on Tuesdays and the
location has changed to the Activities Center. The "Tuesday Lunch Bunch,"
directed by Frances Chappell has planned and prepared the meals for the
last several years. In 2000, members of the ministerial staff considered dis-
solving the Tuesday lunch because it was thought that the kitchen crew,
some in their eighties, was ready for a break. With deep sadness and great
disappointment, every member of the team said, "Please don't take this
ministry away from us. Preparing the lunches on Tuesdays gives us a way
to continue serving the church family we love." The ladies continue to pro-
vide nutritious meals and lots of love for those who take part in the Tues-
day noon prayer meetings.

The new property committee, intent on accomplishing their task, began
exploring all rumors of downtown property that may be available for pur-
chase. The building that housed the Carolina Apartments was available for
two hundred fifty thousand dollars. The opinion of the committee was that
the building would require extensive renovations and would not provide
any additional parking, or the potential to add parking. They decided to
pass on making an offer to purchase. The closest parcel was the Rainey
Chevrolet property adjacent to the church that was vacated when Mr.
Rainey chose to relocate his dealership. Members of First Baptist were per-
mitted to use the lot for parking on Sunday mornings, but Mr. Rainey was
not sure he wanted to sell his property. Rumor was that one-quarter of a
million dollars would be required to get the attention of Mr. Rainey, and the
church was not interested in purchasing anything downtown at that price.
They did, however, recommend that a baseball field be built on the Inde-
pendence Boulevard property in 1970. Their logic was that the field could
be used for recreational purposes, and by using the property the church
would no longer be liable to pay property taxes to the county. Their rec-
ommendation was unanimously approved and the field was built.

The Sunday School annex on the southeast corner of Fifth and Market
streets was determined to be in poor condition and not worth repairing.
With a need for additional downtown parking, and no longer an urgency to
provide additional space for Sunday School classes, the church chose to
demolish the small structure and use the property as a parking lot. The
congregation received an offer to buy the YAC, at a cost of fifteen thousand
dollars, but refused it and made a commitment to renovating the building
and resurrecting the youth ministry. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kennedy and Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Hatch began the effort and the house was filled with teenagers
in a matter of months.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

1972 was a year of special recognition for a couple of men who faithfully
served First Baptist for a number of years. At a business conference in Jan-
uary, the church honored Jimmy Wade for his fifty-five years of work in
the Sunday School ministry.364 By mid-year the church had secured the
services of Dickie Miller to direct the resurging youth ministry. Mr. Miller's
enthusiasm was contagious and his charisma created an immediate in-
crease in the number of participating teenagers and the planned activities.
In September the congregation expressed their heartfelt thanks and ap-
preciation to Rev. J.C. Thomas upon his resignation as Minister of Educa-
tion. Rev. Thomas served in this role for eight years, many of which were
difficult because of the struggles faced by changes that occurred to the
downtown congregation. Four months later, Rev. Charles Curtis Finch be-
came the new Minister of Education. He came to Wilmington from Trinity
Baptist Church in Raleigh where he held a similar position. Rev. Finch was
married on January 27, 1973 and began his work at First Baptist on Feb-
ruary 4.365

The year 1973, proved to be one of the most interesting years in the his-
tory of First Baptist Church. Decisions made in the first few months would
serve as a life map for at least the next thirty-five years. The effect these de-
cisions had on the future growth of the church could not have been imag-
ined at the time.

At the quarterly business meeting, on January 31, Gilliam Horton re-
ported on the recently created ball field that the Smith Bible class had
added at the Independence Boulevard property. It was his sentiment that
the eight acres were not being utilized to its fullest potential insofar as the
needs of the church were concerned. He then proceeded to make a motion
that a committee be appointed to make a study of the best possible use of
the property with regard to the future of First Baptist Church, and that the
committee report their findings at the April business meeting. The motion
carried with an amendment by Jack Davis that priority be given to future
youth activities because of the recent influx of teenagers into the church.
The committee was appointed and named the "Church Goals and Objec-
tives Committee." Members of the committee were James B. Wilson, Helen
Dobson, Sylvia Fisher, Percy Hedquist, Dr. Alton Fales, Janet Kennedy, Gar-
land Garret, Jr., Mrs. J.D. Freeman, Mrs. John Stevens, Dr. John Stike, and
Jack Davis served as chairman.366 On April 4, 1973, the committee pre-
sented the report that appears as Appendix Seventeen.

After Jack Davis presented the report, Helen Dobson made a motion
that the church reconsider the motion adopted by the church back in Oc-

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

tober of 1969 which read, "That the First Baptist Church be and remain at
the present location at the corner of Fifth and Market streets." The motion
was seconded by Garland Garrett, Jr. A lengthy discussion followed the re-
port and subsequent motion which lead James Wilson, chairman of the
deacons, to ask that the meeting be adjourned until April 25 in order for the
entire congregation to have the opportunity to read and understand the
report and motions that had been presented. Copies of the report were
mailed to the entire congregation the following week.

Rev. Randolph Gregory opened the meeting in prayer asking for God's
guidance, wisdom, and presence in the heart and mind of the church mem-
bers when they met to consider the motion on April 25. Chairman Wilson
asked those present to abide by the meeting order as contained in the
church constitution which calls for one person speaking at a time; speak-
ers should stand and address the moderator; speakers would be limited to
speaking only once about a particular subject and only twice during the
entirety of the conference. Church records reveal that one and one-half
hours of discussion took place before any votes were taken. The vote to re-
consider the motion that was approved in 1969, carried ninety-six to fifty.
A standing vote was taken on the motion that the report of the Church
Goals and Objectives committee be approved; the result being sixty-five for
and sixty-four against accepting the report.367

With the closeness of the vote, and in the interest of harmony,
the chairman called for a two-minute recess so that the com-
mittee on Church Goals and Objectives might reconvene and
take a new look at their recommendation. The result was that
the committee advised the membership that they would like to
recommend a substitute motion to delete items B, C, and D
from the recommendation. The vote on the substitute motion
was carried by a vote of 147 to 3, which indicated a clear vote of
confidence on the recommendation of the Church Goals and
Objectives Committee.368

The historic meeting that could have resulted in a literal split "right
down the middle" was adjourned with the singing of "Blest Be the Tie That
Binds." The congregation recognized that choosing to relocate from down-
town would do more to harm the already fractured church. Though wounded
by the steady disintegration of downtown Wilmington, First Baptist Church
decided to remain as light and prominence in the darkness that seemed to

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

persist. As in its prior one hundred sixty-five year history, the congregation
would seek a way to expand its existing ministry by "doing a new thing" rather
than abandoning the old. A new day was dawning for the dedicated Baptist
remnant that had remained faithful to its heritage and committed to the
hope of a better tomorrow. Preliminary plot plans and schematic sketches for
a new building were generated within a couple of months and a sign adver-
tising the forthcoming Activities Center was placed at the corner of Inde-
pendence Boulevard and Canterbury Lane by July. Beside the sign was a
billboard inviting passers by to join First Baptist Church when it met for wor-
ship at the corner of Fifth and Market streets as it continues to do today.

In October of 1973, Morris Powell, Jr. followed Dickie Miller as director
of the youth ministry and the church decided to make a lifetime promise to
Rev. and Mrs. Gregory. After faithfully serving as pastor for twenty-three
years, and thinking he and First Baptist Church would continue serving God
together in Wilmington for the rest of his ministry, Rev. Gregory made a re-
quest of the trustees, deacons, and members of the finance committee that
upon his retirement in December of 1975, he be permitted to remain in the
parsonage the remainder of his life; and the life of Mrs. Gregory if she survived
him. He agreed to maintain the premises and all taxes that may come as a re-
sult of his change in status upon his retirement. The request was well-re-
ceived and unanimously approved when presented to the congregation.
There was an understanding that ownership of the property would remain
with First Baptist Church and upon the death of Rev. and Mrs. Gregory, or
their move from the home, the right to possession would be exercised by the
church.369

While America's economy was stuck in the mire of a recession, First Bap-
tist Church continued meeting its annual budgets and began to generate ad-
ditional funding for the construction of the activities center. A committee of
seven men was appointed to oversee the building and arrange for funding.
James B. Wilson, Jr., Gilliam Horton, Waddell Corbett, Garland Garrett, Sr.,
Jack Davis, Jack Sneeden, and Roy Armstrong would chart the course by
making lead gifts and securing pledges for the rest. The Future Building
Fund had a balance of nearly thirty thousand dollars, when the decision to
build was made. An additional twenty thousand dollars was added to the fund
with the approval of the budget for 1973. On June 30, 1974, the church prop-
erty at 614 Market Street was sold to an attorney for fourteen thousand dol-
lars and it too was placed in the "Future Building Fund.370 A contract was
signed on August 14, authorizing John Oxenfeld, Architects to design the
new eighteen thousand square foot building that would contain a gymna-

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

sium, kitchen, office space, locker rooms, and meeting rooms.371 The esti-
mated cost to build the activities center was three hundred fifty thousand
dollars.

Morris Powell, Jr. resigned as Director of Youth Ministries during the
summer of 1974, and Dale Adkins joined the staff on August 26, as Director
of Youth and Recreation. He acquired a youth ministry that was gaining mo-
mentum each year. Mrs. Janet Kennedy was now directing a musical group
of teenagers who called themselves "The Messengers." In addition to singing
in worship services occasionally, The Messengers presented concerts in area
churches and traveled to nearby cities presenting the message of Christ in
music.

In November, a group of senior adults established a new ministry for peo-
ple in their age group and named it the ''Sunshine Club." With twenty-seven
charter members, this group laid the foundation for what continues to be a
close-knit group of mature adults who minister to each other through social
activities, minister to the homebound through visitation, and reach out to the
surrounding community by providing meals for the hungry and homeless.

First Baptist Church was once again emerging as an enthusiastic center
of activity long before the activity center was finished. Even the retiring Ran-
dolph Gregory was considering ways to become more innovative in hopes of
reaching unchurched people. In the July business conference he challenged
attendees to consider a new worship service in which he and the deacons
would become intentional about shaking hands and greeting guests before
worship services, try "new, evangelistic music" rather than hymns, and rather
than preaching from the pulpit in a robe the pastor would preach from in
front of the communion table in a suit.372 Church records do not indicate the
reaction of the congregation to Rev. Gregory's idea but there is no mention
of an additional worship service in the minutes of the church business con-
ferences.

First Baptist was spending a lot of time, money, and energy on itself in
1974, but the outreach arm that had been a part of its ministry from the gen-
esis of the church was also active. The congregation gave more money to
mission causes than ever before in 1973 and 1974. Part of their gifts to local
missions came on February 10, 1974, when they opened the doors of their
church, hearts and wallets to the neighboring First Baptist Church at 520
North Fifth Avenue. The African-American congregation that traces its be-
ginning to this First Baptist Church was grieving the loss of their building
as a result of a fire. The two churches met under the same roof to worship
God together on that day, and the entire offering was committed to rebuild-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

ing the sanctuary five blocks up the street.373 The congregation that wor-
shiped weekly at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street also extended
an invitation for the African-American congregation to continue worship-
ping with them until their new house of worship was completed.

Rev. Randolph Gregory announced his resignation/retirement as pastor
of First Baptist Church on January 5, 1975. In a letter to the congregation
(Appendix Eighteen), the man who has held the longest pastoral tenure in the
history of the church wrote from his heart.

As promised, Rev. Gregory continued filling the pulpit and carrying out
his pastoral duties through July. As had been his custom from his first year
with the Wilmington church, Rev. Gregory vacationed the entire month of
August. Sunday, July 27 was designated as Appreciation Day for Randolph
and Hilda. The church was filled to capacity with members, former mem-
bers, and friends from the community who came to express their heartfelt
love and appreciation to the Gregory family for all they had meant to First
Baptist Church, and the city of Wilmington. Cards, letters, photographs, and
clippings were presented to the first couple on their last Sunday as the pas-
toral team that had loved, supported, guided, challenged, ministered to, and
received ministry from First Baptist Church. A monetary love gift of better
than twenty-five thousand dollars was collected and presented to the retiring
pastor and his wife. Rev. and Mrs. Gregory made the decision to purchase
their own home and move from the manse for their retirement years, though
the church had promised the couple several months earlier, they could re-
main in the parsonage until their death.

In his retirement years, Rev. Gregory served as interim pastor in a num-
ber of Baptist churches in the Cape Fear region, including First Baptist. He
remained active in the affairs of the Pastor's Conference of the Wilmington
Baptist Association. He was often called on by members of First Baptist
Church to officiate at weddings and funerals of people who joined the church
while he was the pastor. The church honored Rev. Gregory by naming him
Pastor Emeritus in 1979. An avid outdoors man, Randolph spent as much
time as possible hunting, fishing, playing tennis, and tending his garden.

Rev. Randolph Gregory's pastorate at First Baptist Church was certainly
filled with highs and lows. The celebrations and advancements of his first
nine years were matched with the disappointment of watching downtown
Wilmington collapse amid the economic and racial tension that escalated in
the turbulent 1960s. The traumatic events in the life of our nation filtered
down to affect everyone, even Wilmington, North Carolina. Social unrest cre-
ated by the racial tension, the Vietnam War and protests against it, changing

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A Heritage of Hope through Social Unrest and Racial Tension

sexual mores, Watergate and increasing political cynicism bred by its reve-
lation, created major problems with issues of trust. T\vo presidential candi-
dates were gunned down during this time — one slain and the other paralyzed
for life. The nation's pre-eminent civil rights leader was assassinated; and the
President of the United States resigned in disgrace. City curfews were en-
acted in Wilmington when downtown buildings were set ablaze. It was diffi-
cult for any pastor to lead his flock, yet Rev. Gregory steered First Baptist
aggressively, with a flexible course and a steady hand. The challenge to find
additional space that accompanied the growth of the church in the 1950s
was replaced by frustrations generated by the energy exerted in an attempt
to keep the congregation focused on a sense of accomplishment amidst the
days of a dwindling membership.

Had it not been for his faith in God, support of his family, self-confidence
and assurances from the leaders of the church, Rev. Gregory would have left
years earlier. If not for their appreciation for, and devotion to the remem-
brance of those who came before them, First Baptist Church may have be-
come another one of the historic, downtown churches that flourished in the
fifties and all but closed their doors by the end of the century. Stories of ec-
clesiastical survival and hope in the midst of the Civil War, when yellow fever
stole away the pastor and members of the congregation, served as inspiration
for the dwindling congregation. For better than one hundred fifty years, First
Baptist had been a voice of hope in downtown Wilmington; that voice would
not leave nor be silenced in the midst of the social turmoil surrounding it.
Even when the congregation voted to leave the mission field it had toiled in
since its beginning, she paused and reconsidered her decision to abandon
the downtown center of hope.

Randolph Gregory and the church did not give up, or give in to the pres-
sures and temptations they faced; nor did they allow their hope and confi-
dence in Jesus Christ to get distracted by changes and challenges that cried
out for their attention. The pastor and congregation stayed the course, ran
the race that was appointed for them and continued trusting in God's assur-
ance that, "since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe."374 On Feb-
ruary 25, 2002, Rev. Randolph Gregory received the prize that was laid up for
him in heaven when he exchanged his earthly body for an incorruptible heav-
enly crown.

165

CHAPTER FIVE

A Heritage of Hope
into A New
Millenium

While Watergate, Vietnam, Patty Hearst and escalating gas prices
were making the headlines in newspapers across America, First
Baptist Church was appointing its first Pastor Search Committee in al-
most a quarter of a century. In January of 1975, the church chose Mrs.
Betty Holden Stike to chair the team that would recommend the next
pastor. Serving along with her was Mrs. Colon Churchill, Waddell Cor-
bett, Jack Davis, Chester Jones, Bob Kennedy, and James B. Wilson. It
would be nine months before they brought a recommendation to the
congregation. While the committee was about its task of studying re-
sumes, interviewing candidates and traveling to hear preachers they
thought had the potential to be the next pastor of First Baptist Church,
new bridges were being crossed back home. Before Rev. and Mrs. Gre-
gory vacated the church manse, organist Arnold Briggs took an option
to purchase the property. The proceeds from the sale of the house were
used to begin a savings account for the purpose of using the interest
earned to provide a housing allowance for the next pastor.375

A report came from the committee responsible for generating funds
to pay for the construction of the Activities Center in July of 1975. Mr.
Gill Horton proposed a bond program of three hundred twenty-five thou-
sand dollars that would pay eight and one-half percent interest, com-
pounded semi-annually, on ten year maturity, with an option to pay off
the bonds before the ten years. The motion passed with the agreement
that eighty percent of the bonds were sold to members of the church be-
fore the plan was advertised to non-members.376 Mrs. Gilliam Horton re-
called, "All the bonds were sold to members of First Baptist. My husband

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

and a couple of others bought any that were not sold once everyone had
the opportunity to buy."377 Betty Murrell said, "When the bonds matured
most church members returned them to the church without accepting
anything in return. We knew we were making a donation to our future
when we bought them."378 Excavation and site improvements began
shortly thereafter. By the end of the year, it was obvious that the new
building would cost twice as much as projected so one hundred fifty
thousand dollars worth of additional bonds were sold to match pledges
that had been made. One of the largest gifts came as an in-kind donation
from Roy Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong owned a grading and paving com-
pany. He provided all of the site work, grading and paving for the Activ-
ities Center. The estimated worth of his gift was fifty thousand dollars.
Miller Building Corporation began construction of the building when
the site work was complete. The entire project was finished and dedi-
cated before the year ended. The final cost, after in-kind gifts, was five
hundred forty eight thousand three hundred thirty-one dollars.379

Conflict began to rear its ugly head before a new pastor arrived at
First Baptist Church. At an April business conference, the trustees pre-
sented a recommendation that the property being used as the YAC (408
Market Street) be sold to a law firm for twenty-five thousand dollars. Dr.
John Stike, chairman of the trustees, brought a recommendation at the
quarterly business conference, in April of 1984, that the church sell the
property. Those in attendance voted to table the motion until the church
publicized the offer to better inform the congregation of what was being
proposed. In his introductory comments, at the start of the business
meeting, one month later, Moderator Jack Davis set the ground rules for
the meeting by reading sections of the church constitution dealing with
voting regulations and also read six of the twelve rules of order.380 Mr.
Davis reiterated that anyone who did not abide by these rules would be
removed from the meeting.

Parents and teenagers that enjoyed the use of the property vehe-
mently opposed the recommendation to sell the house. The YAC was a
popular place for youngsters that came there for Christian fellowship.
Mrs. Janet Kennedy, along with others, created an environment of safety
and acceptance for teenagers across the city. Objectors to selling the YAC
prior to the completion of the Activities Center turned out in droves and
soundly defeated the recommendation of the trustees with only the five
trustees voting for the motion. The YAC property was eventually sold,
but not until after the dedication of the new Activities Center.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

At the close of the worship service, on Sunday, September 21, the
church was called into conference for the purpose of voting on the rec-
ommendation of the Pastor Selection Committee. The committee rec-
ommended that the church extend a call to Rev. Allen Laymon to become
its next pastor. The recommendation of the committee was accepted by
acclamation.381 Rev. Laymon filled the pulpit as pastor of First Baptist
Church on November 2, though the service of installation was not held
until November 23. His first order of business came two weeks later
when he welcomed Mr. Dick Miller back as Director of Youth and Activ-
ities to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dale Adkins.

Rev. Laymon was the twenty-sixth pastor to serve the First Baptist
Church of Wilmington. The Illinois native did undergraduate work at
Bob Jones University and received his formal theological training at
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, Texas. Be-
fore coming to Wilmington, Rev. Laymon held the pastorate of First Bap-
tist Church in North Wilksboro, North Carolina for seven years. Like the
Gregorys before them, the Laymons arrived in Wilmington with three
children. "Allen," as he preferred to be called, was an eloquent speaker
with an infectious personality whose enthusiasm for life was undeniable.
The persuasive pastor with the contagious smile was known to be ex-
tremely charming, sometimes to a fault. He found his days at First Bap-
tist to be some of his best and worst. Following an institution like Rev.
Gregory brought with it unrecognized challenges. The shadow was
larger than most realized, and to his credit, a lesser pastor would never
have survived as long as Rev. Laymon. The vivid contrast in their per-
sonalities and leadership styles made for interesting days at First Baptist
Church.

The diaconate began an innovative ministry to church families after
Rev. Gregory announced his retirement. Not knowing how long it would
take to get a new pastor, the deacons determined they would need to be
responsible for visiting the hospitalized and homebound, and caring for
other ministry needs of the congregation. Each deacon agreed to be re-
sponsible for ministry to a certain number of families. This ministry con-
tinued after Rev. Laymon arrived as pastor, but the deacons felt
overwhelmed by the number of families for whom each deacon was re-
sponsible. Therefore, the diaconate recommended, and received unani-
mous support, for a constitutional change in 1976 that expanded their
number by eight, bringing the number of deacons to forty.382

First Baptist Church received three gifts in the fall of 1976. A me-

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

morial garden along the west side of the sanctuary was created in the
name of Claud Efird. A Mason & Hamlin grand piano was placed in the
sanctuary as a gift from Mrs. A.H. Yopp in memory of her husband, Al-
fred, who used his love for music to serve Christ and his church for many
years.383 A new Minister of Education was called to direct the discipleship
ministry of the church.

Rev. Johnny Phillips was called as Minister of Education with the un-
derstanding that he would begin on January 1, 1977. His pastoral and ad-
ministrative skills were essential to organizing the Sunday School,
beginning a ministry to single adults, filling the pulpit in the absence of
the pastor, and serving as a supply preacher in churches of the Wilm-
ington Baptist Association that occasionally called on him.

The sad news of 1976 was that Church Training at First Baptist was
dissolved. After years of struggling with low attendance, the decision was
made to do away with this program of discipleship ministry. Kenan
Maready gave Church Training many years of devoted leadership. No one
was more disappointed with the lack of support the church gave to the
Sunday afternoon gatherings than Mr. Maready. The fellowship meals in
Fireside Hall, and classes for children, teenagers and adults were rele-
gated to memories of days gone by. It would be almost ten years before
on-going discipleship training seminars and activities would return to
the church.

On November 21, 1976, the First Baptist Church Activities Center at
the corner of Independence Boulevard and Canterbury Road was dedi-
cated to God and opened for service. The property acquired by the con-
gregation in 1964, was finally going to be used to provide recreation,
fellowship and outreach opportunities for the church. A portion of the
dedication service included the following proclamation:

To the end that all who share the hospitality of these walls and
these rooms may grow in body, mind, spirit, joy and happi-
ness, and to the end that all who share the warmth and glow
within may find courage, trust, confidence and faith, we dedi-
cate this Activities Building to the Glory of God Almighty and
to the inspiration of our fellow persons.384

The acquisition of the Sidbury House in 1964, provided additional
space for Sunday School classes for thirteen years before the church de-
cided to move their administrative offices into the building in 1977.385

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Members of the congregation rolled up their sleeves and renovated the
interior, and painted the exterior in order to make the house comfortable
for the staff. Furnishings were also donated.

It was important that members give of their time and talent to such
projects because they were not giving enough of their money to meet
budget demands. Recognizing the ability to give was available but the de-
sire was lacking, the church employed one of its most-loved members to
change the giving attitude. Wallace West was hired to be the Stewardship
Counselor of the church in 1977. He was paid as a part-time employee
but his work was never finished because his primary function was "to
promote a better understanding of our responsibilities to the Lord and
the fiscal affairs of the church."386 This is something he did until his
dying days.

The choice of Mr. West was a good one for First Baptist. The retired
educator was respected by nearly everyone who knew him. He was an
innovative thinker, committed Christian, devoted husband and father,
Sunday School teacher, and deacon of the church. His duties included
that of a financial counselor to the church members in regard to wills,
bequests, and trusts, as well as guiding the pledge process for meeting
the annual budget. He was unafraid to challenge people to provide gen-
erous gifts to their Lord through the ministries of the church. While in
his position, Mr. West implemented the plan to have offering envelopes
mailed to church members on a monthly basis as a reminder to give. He
started 'Tithe Demonstration Sundays" and "Catch-Up" days throughout
the year in order to assure the church of meeting its budget.

Wallace West was a layman of the caliber of George French, Benjamin
Mitchell, CD. Ellis, and Alfred Alderman who came before him. Carl
Warwick described him as, "a man who loved people and wanted the best
for everyone he knew. He never gave up on anyone; certainly not me.
Wallace West loved his God, his family and his church more than any-
thing."387 Wallace resigned from his paid position in 1979, though he
was called on to assist with the annual pledging process of the congre-
gation for several more years.

First Baptist called its first Minister of Recreation and Youth in June
of 1978.388 Rev. Don Vigus was graduated from Memphis State University
and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, with degrees in recre-
ation and divinity. He arrived in Wilmington, in an MG convertible to im-
plement and direct a ministry plan for the Activities Center and work
with teenagers. Though his title and responsibilities have been adjusted

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

to accommodate his time and interests over the past thirty years, Rev.
Vigus continues to be an effective and vital part of the church staff.

Don was charged with keeping the Activities Center open and pro-
viding church wide recreation in his early days. Basketball, volleyball,
baseball and softball teams were started that have evolved into entire
leagues. Hunting, fishing, skiing, rafting trips and tours for children
through the oldest adults have been enjoyed by thousands. Summer
camps, weekend retreats, mission trips and fun get away adventures were
as much a lifestyle as a job for Rev. Vigus. He has guided children,
teenagers, their parents, college students, single adults and senior adults
for the past thirty years. His office is now downtown rather than at the
Activities Center where he started. He is now only responsible for min-
istry to teenagers and their families.

There are over two hundred teenagers involved in a youth group that
is constantly growing in faith and sharing it with others through large
and small group gatherings. Rev. Vigus has become a mentor to many
youth ministers in the city and across North Carolina. In introducing
Don Vigus to First Baptist Church, Rebecca Laymon wrote in the King-
dom News, "He's a warm, personable, genuine young man whom I know
you are going to enjoy and appreciate."389 Her opinion has been shared
by thousands of people in the last quarter century. Don Vigus is an in-
stitution in youth ministry and his years of effectiveness are living proof.

First Baptist Church ordained its first female deacon in 1978. Mrs.
Betty Stike holds that distinction. She had been a member of the church
for over thirty years. In that time she served on numerous committees,
taught Sunday School, directed the WMU and was Chairperson of the
Pastor Selection committee that recommended Rev. Laymon. The
church felt Betty Stike fit the description of what a deacon was to be and
did not think gender should be a discriminating factor. Miss Helen Dob-
son was ordained in 1985, and Miriam Baggett followed in 1986. In 2008,
there are fifteen female members of the fifty-six person diaconate.

First Baptist Church began two traditions in 1979, that have grown
in attendance since their genesis. Easter sunrise services are held an-
nually at several locations around Wilmington. Community services on
the USS North Carolina, at Oleander Gardens Cemetery and on the sand
at Wrightsville Beach are well attended and members of First Baptist
were participants until Waddell and Bitsy Corbett opened the gardens at
Airlie for the church to have their own service. Gathering at sunrise
under the mammoth Live Oak trees with blooming azaleas and Bradley

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Creek serving as a backdrop has afforded the church an atmosphere to
celebrate the resurrection of Christ like no other. Hundreds of people
from across the Cape Fear region now look forward to meeting at Airlie
Gardens at sunrise for an Easter resurrection celebration every year.

The other tradition that started in 1979, is the annual Thanksgiving
Wildlife Banquet. The church family brings side dishes to complement
prepared wild game, ham and turkey for a smorgasbord dinner that is
second to none. A program is planned for everyone after enjoying the
meal together. At the conclusion of the evening, the church shares Holy
Communion around the dinner tables. This gathering has now outgrown
the Activities Center and the ministerial staff is faced with the challenge
of continuing the tradition in more creative ways.

A ministry that ended in 1979, was the radio broadcast of Sunday
morning worship services. First Baptist Church, for a number of years,
contracted with a local station, WMFD, to provide a live broadcast. In
the spring of that year, the radio station decided not to renew its contract
with the church. First Baptist has not chosen to broadcast or televise its
worship services since.

The 1970s closed with First Baptist Church planning a complete ren-
ovation of the sixty year old educational building. Cosmetic updates and
periodic painting was no longer solving the constant complaints of
church members or the escalating maintenance costs incurred to repair
the deteriorating building. On June 8, 1980, the Educational Building
Renovation Committee brought a report that called for a complete over-
haul of the building. A recommendation was made and passed that the
church accepts the report and begin planning for ways to fund the ren-
ovation. Dr. Robert Fales was disappointed with the decision and shared
his desire that the church consider building a new educational building
at the Independence Boulevard site. He urged the congregation, "...not
to sidetrack or postpone the unlimited possibilities of this site. I feel in
the future, it is essential to erect a building on this site. There would
probably be 1,000 to 1,500 in Sunday School every Sunday morning."390

Dr. Fales was a visionary leader that the church chose not to follow
in this matter. This writer believes they made a huge mistake by not
gleaning more of his wisdom. The average attendance in Sunday School
was two hundred eighty at that time. It took until 2004 to reach an av-
erage attendance in Sunday School of five hundred people.

Two funds were created in 1980, as a result of large financial gifts
provided to the church. Mrs. Hilda Cameron Echols presented a gift of

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two hundred ten thousand dollars and a gift of stock that exceeded three
hundred thousand dollars was received from the estate of Mr. Glenn J.
McClellan. First Baptist has benefited from the generosity of these two
donors from that year forward. The church has been able to do multiple
ministries as a result of these gifts and the interest that has accrued in
the funds. The congregation was now meeting its budget and the church
was included in the wills of a number of members as a result of the tire-
less dedication of Wallace West. The fruit of his labor will benefit First
Baptist Church for many years to come.

The annual budget exceeded three hundred thousand dollars for the
first time in 1981. While this was an achievement of sorts, the church
would take an aggressive financial "leap of faith" during the year that
was a higher mountain than they had ever climbed. At a business con-
ference in May of 1981, with only eighty-eight members present, a re-
port, and subsequent recommendation was brought by a special study
committee concerning the renovation of the educational building. The
committee recommended that the church authorize a construction
budget of seven hundred thousand dollars to renovate the building.391
The motion passed. There was not yet a plan in place for how to pay for
the renovations and any additions. Some thought the church could use
the balance available in the newly created funds and any other funds the
church may have but wiser people prevailed and the funds were not de-
pleted to renovate the building. After careful consideration the church
determined it would be best to enter a pledge campaign and complete
the renovations in three phases in order to "pay as we go."

Mrs. Hilda Cameron Echols put forth a matching one hundred thou-
sand dollar challenge to the church. It took six years, and better than
eight hundred thousand dollars to complete the project. Members of the
finance committee faced the challenges of having to decide which bills
would be paid when they met each month. Ed Efird, Dr. Jimmy Smith
and Kenan Maready shouldered the majority of this responsibility with
assistance from others. Annual increases in the budget were minimal as
some members of the church were designating their offerings to the ren-
ovation project rather than supporting the unified budget.

In March of 1983, the church was presented with the chance to ex-
pand its downtown campus when the Von Glahn House located beside
the Sidbury House became available. This house had a similar floor plan
as the Sidbury House but downtown real estate had appreciated dra-
matically since the church purchased the house from Dr. Sidbury twenty

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

years earlier. An offer of at least ninety-five thousand dollars would be re-
quired in order for the church to have a chance at buying the property.392
As the congregation discussed the advantages and disadvantages they
concluded it would not be prudent to borrow money in order to expand
downtown while they were still in the process of paying off the sale of
bonds for the construction of the Activities Center and trying to renovate
the educational building. Some members regret not buying the house
when they had the chance because the Von Glahn House could serve as
Sunday School classrooms or an urban ministry center. There are also
some who regret the church did not purchase the Rainey Chevrolet
property (current Jo Ann Carter Harelson Center) when it was first avail-
able. However, there is no evidence that the church ever had the oppor-
tunity to purchase that property. Legend has it that the church could
have bought half of the downtown block for fifty thousand dollars, but
that is only legend.

Rumors concerning the pastor's private life were beginning to spread
in the church and community in 1984. Marital tension became obvious
to members of the church and Rev. Laymon's professional performance
began to suffer. Members of the diaconate accepted a larger role as min-
isters to the congregation while the pastor concentrated on matters at
home. Those leading the way included young men like Tony Lopatka,
Kit Austin, Ed Efird, John Smith, Joe Sutton, and Bob Parker. Older
members of the diaconate like Percy Hedquist, Betty Stike, Jim Fitzger-
ald, Calvin Doss, Helen Dobson, Chester Jones, Elmer Higgins, Miriam
Baggett, Kenan Maready, Sam Bissette, Bud Davis, Herb Fisher, Leon
Brogden, Garland Garrett, Sr., and Lee Porter provided stability for a
church that was feeling the affects of internal conflict. Their wisdom and
leadership were vital for managing a congregation that could have eas-
ily fallen into despair.

The church received almost seven hundred new members during the
first eight years of Rev. Laymon's ministry but the resident membership
had increased by less than one hundred fifty. The average Sunday School
attendance was showing an increase of eight over the same period. The
church budget was increasing each year, and gifts to building projects
and special funds were enormous, but giving to mission causes was stag-
nant. The church was unbalanced but few recognized it. Rev. Laymon
was loved and respected by many in the congregation for his eloquent
sermons and the tenderness he showed in ministering to them in times
of struggle. His personal struggles disappointed some members whose

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expectations were higher than he was able to fulfill. Some members
claimed to be embarrassed by their perception of a lack of integrity on
the part of their pastor.

In October of 1985, Allen Laymon resigned amidst growing con-
gregational turmoil and confusion. Some members felt he should have
stepped down months earlier; others were saddened by his decision
to leave. A cadre of church members thought the church had forced
their pastor to resign at a time when he needed to be cared for by the
congregation. Tears of joy, anger, and heartbreak were shed by many.
Rev. Laymon wrote in resigning:

You have been my support group, confidants, advisors, cor-
rectors, forgivers of my weaknesses, and celebrators of my
strengths. You have been more than I could have ever
dreamed possible. Our relationship together has surpassed my
highest expectations. It is now time for me to make a new be-
ginning in another place.393

The new place of ministry for one of the finest orators to ever grace
the pulpit of First Baptist Church was Union Theological Seminary, in
Richmond, Virginia, where he taught homiletics. Rev. Laymon eventu-
ally returned to the pastorate when he accepted a call to the Park Road
Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

One of the most significant things Rev. Laymon led First Baptist to
do during his ten year tenure was to change their policy concerning the
admission of new members. Prior to his coming to Wilmington, the con-
gregation required all members to be baptized by immersion. Those who
wished to join the church by transfer of their membership from a church
of another denomination that did not baptize by immersion had to be
immersed in order to join First Baptist. Rev. Laymon asked the congre-
gation to consider allowing those who had received a "believer's bap-
tism" by any mode, or who had been through "confirmation" in another
Christian faith tradition, to join First Baptist without the requirement
of being immersed, or re-baptized. After studying the issue for several
months, and considering the effect this constitutional change may have
on the church and its relationship to other Baptist bodies, First Baptist
voted to make an adjustment to the constitution. The church's policy
on baptism now reads:

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Persons who are members of other Christian fellowships may
unite with First Baptist Church by transfer of letter or state-
ment of faith. The specific requirement of Christian baptism
for membership in the Church may be waived when, in the
opinion of the pastor, it is physically or mentally impracti-
cal.394

First Baptist is one of only a few Baptist churches with such an open
policy on receiving new members. This openness has provided the av-
enue for membership to many people who otherwise would not have
considered joining the church. The decision Rev. Laymon led the church
to make concerning baptism is one of the reasons First Baptist has
grown as it has in the last twenty years. The issue of baptism by immer-
sion is no longer a barrier to receiving those who firmly believe their
experience of baptism, by whatever mode, was a significant event in their
faith journey.

First Baptist lost two other leaders in 1985, who gave of themselves
to assure the betterment of the church. In a letter to Mrs. Jack Sneeden,
dated May 13, 1985, the deacons wrote:

Jack's genuine friendliness, his devotion to duty, his keen
sense of humor, his understanding tolerance, his efficiency in
business, his sympathetic concern for others — these marked
him as an influential deacon and leader.

Crowded into a comparatively brief span of years, many
facets of activity felt the quiet power and cooperative spirit of
this man. Many are the lives he influenced along the way.

We shall always remember Jack's vibrancy, and each of us
will be forever grateful for the benediction of a life well-
lived.395

Later in the year the church celebrated the life of Gilliam Horton.
The diaconate passed the statement appearing as Appendix Nineteen ac-
knowledging their appreciation for the life he lived and the contribution
he made to First Baptist Church.

Randolph Gregory stepped out of retirement to become Interim Pas-
tor two weeks after the resignation of Rev. Allen Laymon. Feelings were
raw for most members and the wisdom and experience of the Pastor
Emeritus was vital. Rev. Johnny Phillips provided pastoral care and a

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pulpit presence during these tumultuous days. He also presided over
staff meetings and represented the church in associational and conven-
tion meetings. Some people said he wanted to be the next pastor, and
there were members of the church who wanted him to step up. The gen-
eral consensus of the congregation though, was that the new pastor
needed to be divorced from the recent events surrounding Rev. Laymon's
departure.

In the aftermath of the resignation of Rev. Laymon, Arnold Briggs
retired on December 22, 1985. He served as organist and led the music
ministry of the church for seventeen years. His devotion to this ministry
was appreciated by members of the Chancel Choir, but graded choirs
suffered during his tenure. The congregation looked, again to Helen
Dobson to guide this ministry during the interim.

In March of 1986, Jeff Lewis was called as Organist-Choirmaster.
This accomplished organist came to First Baptist from Highland Bap-
tist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He brought a flair for playing the
organ, and piano, like the church had not had since Henri Emurian.
Jeff was a young man who longed to see the entire church, including
the children and teenagers, worshipping God through the gift of
music. He convinced the church that there was a place for contem-
porary and classical music in worship. Jeff enlisted a team of volun-
teers to lead a graded program of music for children while he
concentrated on building a youth choir. The music committee en-
couraged the church to enlarge the music budget by several thousand
dollars to allow the new organist the opportunity to purchase new
music for the Chancel Choir. Members of the congregation who re-
sisted joining the choir under the previous Minister of Music now
filled the choir loft every Sunday. Still, without a pastor in place, a
vital part of the ministry team was missing.

In May of 1986, Faye Hilburn resigned as financial secretary after thir-
teen years of service to the church. This vacancy created yet another hole
in the dwindling church staff. Few people were as trusted as Mrs. Hilburn.
She watched the church budget increase from one hundred thirty-five
thousand dollars to more than four hundred thirty thousand dollars since
she began in 1973. Faye led First Baptist into the age of computers. Hers
may have been the most difficult job on staff as she was constantly over-
seeing the receipts and expenditures of a church that often barely met
its bills. Ed Efird recalled his first meeting on the finance committee
when an elderly veteran of the committee told him, "If the church does-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

n't meet the budget, members of this committee go into our pockets to
make up the difference."396 He said he started to resign before the gen-
tleman smiled and told him "that is the way it used to be."

Mrs. Marie Lane followed Mrs. Hilburn as financial secretary and con-
tinues serving in this capacity in 2008. The financial standing of the
church has improved immensely over the last twenty-one years.

Kenan Maready was elected Chairman of the Pastor Search Commit-
tee. Other members included J. Corpening, Ann Brown, Sam Bissette,
Joe Sutton, Naomi Pridgen, and Jimmy Jackson. Mr. Maready brought a
report to the monthly deacons meeting in May indicating that the com-
mittee had invited Dr. Michael Queen to be the guest of the church at a
reception on Wednesday, May 28. The purpose of the reception was to in-
troduce Dr. Queen, and his family, to the church. Following congrega-
tional approval on June 15, the committee prepared a written agreement
that was signed by Dr. Queen and the Chairman of the Pastor Search
Committee. He began his duties as pastor on August 9, and was installed
on September 14, 1986.

Dr. Mike Queen came to be pastor of First Baptist Church from First
Baptist in Greensboro, North Carolina where he served as Associate Pas-
tor for the previous five years. The West Virginia native graduated from
Wake Forest University in 1968, and returned home to manage a family-
owned business before entering Southeastern Seminary ten years later.
Upon graduation, he was called to the Greensboro church as Assistant
Pastor with the hope of learning the practical and professional skills of
pastoring from one of North Carolina's finest mentors, Dr. Alton
McEachern.

Five years later, Mike Queen was given the opportunity to put into
practice what he learned in the classroom and on the field. First Baptist
Church in Greensboro was one of the largest churches in North Car-
olina, and Mike Queen's administrative skills, extroverted personality,
sense of intentionality, and ability to motivate others was one of the rea-
sons. He would need these traits and the wisdom gleaned from other ex-
perienced pastors in order to bring some semblance of stability to a
fractured Wilmington church. Mike Queen and members of the Pastor
Search Committee that spent time with him during the hours of inter-
views and conversation were convinced God was bringing them together
for such a time as this.

With a commitment to pray for, and with each other, Mike Queen and the
members who presented him to First Baptist Church embarked on a jour-

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ney that has lasted more than twenty years. In his first letter to the congre-
gation Dr. Queen's honesty and excitement was evident when he wrote:

There is a marvelous exhilaration in doing something for the
"first" time. I am feeling that as I prepare to speak to you on
Sunday. As newcomers to this city and church, we (his wife
Bobbie and children Brett and Amy) share a common experi-
ence. At one time, you also were new to this place. You have
made a home here; so shall we. We look forward to getting to
know each of you personally. We have recently experienced a
lot of change, but we are truly "open" to the future. You will
experience some changes also. Every person is different. I am
no exception. No doubt, I will do things differently than that
to which you are accustomed. Bear with me as we learn one
another's ways. As we begin together, remember that you do
not need me. You need Christ. He will fill our spirits and for-
give our sin. That is amazing grace. That hope is our faith.
May we live out that faith as we share our joys and hurts in
love for one another.397

Dr. Queen admits he was not a first-rate preacher when he began his
pastorate but that has changed. In 1996, he was invited to deliver the
annual sermon at the Baptist State Convention. Bob Parker once told
the new pastor, "Your preaching was so bad I didn't know if you were
going to make it through the first year, and I was less convinced that I
would." Both men survived their first year together and enjoy a long-
lasting friendship and healthy respect for each other. Good preaching
was not what First Baptist Church needed in the early days of Dr. Queen's
ministry with them. The early victories for the new pastor were not won
in the pulpit, but in meetings with scarred members and prospects look-
ing for a church home.

Eleven new members joined First Baptist in the first four weeks of
Dr. Queen's pastorate. The proposed budget prepared by the finance
committee for 1987 reflected a decrease from 1986. The committee
thought it prudent to reduce the budget because projections reflected
the congregation would not meet the demand of the existing budget.
Dr. Queen urged the committee to push forward rather than conced-
ing defeat and retreating. The projection for 1986 rang true and the
church did not meet the budget, but the idealistic new pastor was per-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

suasive enough to convince the finance committee to raise the bar. The
budget for the coming year was increased seventy-two dollars over
1986. The congregation did not meet the budget goal in 1987, but they
gave more than the church had ever given and had a feeling of ac-
complishment.

Mike Queen acquired a staff that consisted of a Minister of Education
with nine years of experience, a Minister of Youth, Recreation and Sen-
ior Adults with nine years experience, a Minister of Music who had been
on board for five months, a financial secretary with less than a year
under her belt, and an administrative secretary who began in 1975. They
were looking for a leader, and they found one.

After being an associate pastor for five years, Rev. Queen knew what
it was like to be a staff member. He understood the dynamics of often
working behind the scenes while the pastor got the accolades. He also
knew his future success, and the ultimate success of the church de-
pended on the guidance of a cohesive ministerial team. The foundation
was laid when the pastor proposed that the church lower his salary and
raise the salaries of the support staff. Dr. Queen thought the gap was too
wide between the salaries and he wanted the problem remedied early on.
The church followed his lead and the staff members appreciated his sup-
port.

Church records indicated First Baptist had one thousand seventy res-
ident members in 1986.398 There were approximately five hundred peo-
ple in worship on a given Sunday and three hundred in Sunday School.
Members were kind to the new pastor and his family but not everyone
went out of their way to welcome them into the church. "It was a strange
time," Dr. Queen remembers. "There were members who were angry by
the recent departure of the former pastor. Some of them took out their
anger on me because I was a symbol of the transition."399 The issues
within First Baptist Church were greater than the new pastor could have
conceived, but he was convinced God placed him in this situation for a
purpose and God would provide what was needed.

The sanctuary of the church provided a beautiful place to worship,
but the basement of the educational building leaked and was uninhab-
itable most Sundays. Renovations were still progressing as the church
continued trying to dress up an old building. Fewer than one hundred
adults and children took part in discipleship studies, children's choirs,
and mission activities. With Christmas approaching, Dr. Queen and Jeff
Lewis, the Organist/Choirmaster, decided to take a chance on the mem-

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bers coming downtown on a Sunday night. The two newest staff mem-
bers planned a "Hanging of the Greens" service for December 7, 1986.
They organized a program that included children, teenagers, and adults
singing, playing instruments, joining the congregation in singing
hymns, and leading special readings while groups decorated the sanc-
tuary with wreaths, poinsettias, garland and candles. The sanctuary was
filled and the congregants commented that the service was one of the
best things that had happened at First Baptist Church in years. Dr.
Queen and Jeff Lewis embraced as the last members left the sanctuary.
They agreed that they took their place as Pastor and Minister of Music
that night. The "Hanging of the Greens" service became a regular part
of the Advent season for First Baptist Church.

Dr. Queen's goal for the next twelve months was to meet as many
members as possible and to become involved in the life of the commu-
nity. He joined a Rotary Club, agreed to serve as a district chairman for
the United Way, took part in activities with the Wilmington Baptist As-
sociation, and met regularly with pastors of other downtown churches.

In 1988, the family ministry plan of the diaconate was adjusted and ex-
panded to include non-deacons as ministry leaders. Under the guidance of
Joe Sutton, training sessions were conducted to equip as many members
as possible to minister to the congregation. Each trained person was as-
signed up to seven families they were to contact and visit regularly so in
times of need or celebration, church members would minister to each
other. The new plan was called "Shared Ministry" and added a new com-
ponent to the church. Deacons had provided visits and served commun-
ion to homebound members for years, and members of the diaconate — led
by Onree Fisher and John Clayton — conducted times of worship at a
nearby retirement center, Catherine Kennedy Home, but "Shared Min-
istry" was an attempt to minister to the entire church. The plan worked
well for a few years but interest waned in the mid-90s and was replaced
with a plan for Sunday School class members to minister to each other.

The deacons also began to study the actions of the Southern Baptist
Convention in 1988. Recent decisions and remarks by conservative Con-
vention leaders who were steering it away from its original focus caused
First Baptist to appoint a Denominational Relations Committee to stay
informed of actions by Convention leadership and keep the church
abreast. Bob Parker spearheaded this team. He immersed himself in the
effort by writing letters and making phone calls to leaders of the various
agencies and boards of the Convention. First Baptist Church sent a full

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

complement of messengers to each annual meeting. Reports from Mr.
Parker and other members of the church became a regular part of busi-
ness conferences.

Twenty more new members joined First Baptist in the first couple of
months of 1988. A new Sunday School class was begun for young cou-
ples. The pre-school area was growing as young families were finding
First Baptist to be a place they wanted to grow in their relationship with
Christ. The choir loft was beginning to fill and Jeff Lewis reported forty-
eight adults had enrolled in the Chancel Choir.400 Sixty teenagers en-
rolled in the youth choir and thirty were now attending. The youth
group had at least that many participating in Sunday night activities.

Over the next ten months a number of adjustments were made in
order for the church to become more welcoming and efficient. At the
insistence of the pastor, the deacons committed to become more inten-
tional at greeting guests and unfamiliar church members each Sunday.
The goal was to increase the level of warmth displayed within the church
family. The pastor committed to visiting in the homes of those who vis-
ited First Baptist. The standard for being a deacon was revised and ex-
pectations of deacons were raised. Each deacon was expected to attend
Sunday School regularly, tithe, invite prospective members to join them
in worship, pray daily, and support the pastor.

The church did not meet its budget in 1988, but increased its giving
from the previous year. Again, Dr. Queen encouraged the finance com-
mittee to challenge the congregation by raising the budget for 1989. He
sensed the best days were ahead for a church that was feeling good about
whom they were.

In 1989, the year began with the appointment of a "Self-Study Task
Force," whose assignment was to analyze every aspect of First Baptist
Church. The task force was used to determine strengths and weaknesses
of the church. John Smith chaired the diaconate and directed this two-
year effort that involved more than one hundred members assigned to
various commissions. The goal was to begin preparing the church for
the twenty-first century.

The task force proposed an increase in mission involvement, a re-
duction in the number of standing committees, a renovation of the chan-
cel and pulpit area of the sanctuary, increased emphasis on Christian
education and discipleship training, and a new intentionality toward
evangelism. The congregation embraced the findings and recommen-
dations of the task force by approving their report in the fall of 1990.401

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The new committee structure called for a reduction from twenty-six
committees to eleven. Each committee would have between nine and
fifteen members who would meet on a monthly basis. A staff member
would serve as liaison to each committee in order to provide guidance
and answer questions. The primary committees were Children's Min-
istry, Financial Management, Missions and Ministry, Property Manage-
ment, Worship, Personnel, and Youth. The Fellowship Fund, Trustees,
Audit and Archives committees were smaller and met as needed. This
new system has worked well since its implementation.

On July 16, 1989, First Baptist Church ordained its first female min-
ister.402 Ann Charles-Craft was a public school teacher who was a mem-
ber of the singles ministry of First Baptist when she felt God leading her
into vocational ministry. She served as a summer intern at First Baptist
during her seminary days at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
After graduation she was called as Minister to Children and Single Adults
by Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh. The Raleigh congregation con-
curred with First Baptist Church in Wilmington that Ann's character
and commitment to serving God merited ordination and First Baptist
set her apart after she met with an ordination council. It would be almost
fifteen years before the Wilmington congregation ordained another
woman to the gospel ministry. Mrs. Jayne Hugo Davis became Rev. Davis
in a special worship service in January of 2004. Rev. Davis serves as Min-
ister of Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development at First Bap-
tist currently.

The Wilmington church partnered with the Baptist State Convention
by sending two teams of volunteers on mission trips to Brazil in 1989.
These were the first of many teams First Baptist would send to do vol-
unteer mission work around the world. Teams have journeyed to Haiti,
the Dominican Republic, Bimini, Jamaica, Kosovo, Antigua, the Czech
Republic, Mexico, Nova Scotia, Thailand, China, Honduras, Chile, and
Guatemala, all within the last ten years.

In a business meeting, held on October 15, 1989, the church decided
it was time to make adjustments in the way it was financially support-
ing the Southern Baptist Convention. The Convention was being firmly
controlled by a fundamentalist regime. Seminary presidents and profes-
sors were being fired or forced to resign because of unfounded reports
of liberal theological leanings. Threats were made to leaders of Baptist
agencies and mission boards. The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Af-
fairs was being de-funded by the Convention.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

First Baptist Church had been a team player since the Convention
was conceived in 1845. The church supported the mission causes of the
Convention and was a strong supporter of the Cooperative Program
since its beginning. However, over the last ten years the Convention had
taken a course that eliminated participation in decision-making by
churches that practiced the Priesthood of all Believers and respected the
autonomy of each church. First Baptist did not force the issue of the in-
errancy of scripture on its members and practiced the ordination of
women as deacons and ministers. The church was labeled "liberal" in
the eyes of many Southern Baptists because of its policies concerning
baptism, the ordination of women, and the interpretation of scripture.
With no seat at the table, and the idea that there would be no more op-
portunities for members to be invited to take part in leadership roles in
the Convention, First Baptist decided to give each member the option of
continuing to provide financial support to the Southern Baptist Con-
vention or directing their mission dollars elsewhere. Eighty-five percent
of the membership chose to by-pass the Southern Baptist Convention.
The other fifteen percent of the membership wanted to continue sup-
porting the Convention and their wishes were granted.

First Baptist has always made it a practice of allowing the minority
vote to have a voice in the financial support of missions. For the next ten
years an even smaller percentage of the church chose to support the
Southern Baptist Convention and they were allowed to do so without
being made to feel uncomfortable. However, after years of attending Con-
vention meetings, writing letters, making phone calls, and many mem-
bers spending an enormous number of hours discussing and praying
about the church's relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention,
First Baptist officially severed its tie.

In a business conference, held on January 21, 2001, approximately
three hundred members voted in favor of a motion brought by an ap-
pointed "Denominational Affiliation Committee" chaired by John Mar-
tin.403 The motion was to revise the church's Constitution by removing
the words "Southern Baptist Convention" from the list of groups the
church chooses to support. Three members voted against the motion.
This was a sad day for the church that had messengers present at the
founding of the Convention, but the Convention that First Baptist helped
to birth had chosen to go in a direction that no longer operated under
the principles, policies and beliefs by which it was founded.

In the fall of 1990, the church sent representatives to a called meet-

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ing in Atlanta. Dr. Daniel Vestal, a Baptist pastor from Texas, invited dis-
enfranchised Southern Baptists to come together for the purpose of talk-
ing about options and alternatives to supporting a Convention that no
longer wanted to have fellowship with Baptists who would not march to
their command. From this meeting evolved the Cooperative Baptist Fel-
lowship which offered mission opportunities for Baptists who were dis-
placed by the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.
First Baptist threw its support behind this new venture that has grown
into a mission delivery ministry with missionaries who serve unreached
people groups around the globe.

Eric Porterfield served as the second Youth Ministry intern during
the summer of 1989. Eric grew up at First Baptist Church in Greens-
boro and was a college student sensing God's call to vocational ministry.
Upon graduating from Wofford College, Eric continued his education at
the Baptist House of Studies in the divinity school at Duke University.
Today, Eric serves as pastor of Winter Park Baptist Church in Wilming-
ton, a church that was started by First Baptist.

In the fall of 1989, the church began a Wednesday evening program
that included dinner, mission activities, choir for children, and disci-
pleship seminars for teenagers and adults. This was the first on-going
evening activity attempted by the downtown church since the curfews of
the early 1970s. Attendance was slow at first but grew over time. The
schedule called for all activities to end by seven p.m.. The plan was to
conduct two thirteen week semesters. The first semester ended in early
December. The second semester began in January, and concluded before
Easter. The church embraced the format after the first year and this min-
istry continues today.

The fall also saw the beginning of "Fifty Plus," a ministry activity for
couples over the age of fifty years old. These couples met monthly at the
Activities Center to enjoy a catered meal together, and a program of
sorts. The friendships built by these socials helped to continue creating
the friendly atmosphere within First Baptist Church. Entertainment at
Fifty Plus gatherings has included impersonators of Elvis Presley, Kenny
Rogers and Dolly Parton.

At the same time, Wake Forest University began to investigate the
possibility of beginning a divinity school and asked Mike Queen to lead
the way. He was serving as a trustee of the institution at the time. A three
month study indicated the need for such a school at Wake Forest but fi-
nancial restraints would not allow it at that time. First Baptist made a

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

commitment to provide financial support for such a school and encour-
aged Dr. Queen to inquire of other churches to do the same. The Wilm-
ington pastor immersed himself in a venture to secure the money
needed to start the new program of study. It would take about ten years
before the financial base was such that Wake Forest could begin the
school for advanced theological training but with the support of First
Baptist and many others, the dream became a reality.

Sunday School attendance continued to rise through 1989. The av-
erage attendance grew to three hundred forty. In the hope that this was
more than just an anomaly, a team of deacons approached the City of
Wilmington about the church being allowed the first option to purchase
the former Wilmington Light Infantry Armory beside of the church in
order to have room for its expanding Sunday School ministry. The city
was using the building for office space but rumors were spreading that
it would soon be vacated. Though parts of the building were almost one
hundred fifty years old, the location was perfect for expanding the First
Baptist downtown campus. It would be seven more years before the
church was given the chance to buy the building.

In addition to the growth in membership, Sunday School attendance,
worship attendance and the new discipleship opportunity on Wednes-
day evenings, First Baptist met its budget for the first time in several
years. One of the reasons for this may have been a new system of pledg-
ing that was implemented by Dr. Queen.

Each First Baptist family received a letter explaining the new system
along with a financial pledge card in early November of 1988. The Sun-
day before Thanksgiving was the designated day the completed cards
were to be returned. That day, as an act of worship, the congregation
was invited to come forward and place their completed cards on the com-
munion table. The table was covered in fruit, nuts and vegetables to sym-
bolize the fall harvest. Families processed to the table and placed their
financial commitment card among the harvest God had provided for
God's children. Most members see this service as extremely moving
while a few intentionally stay away because they believe bringing cards
to the front of the sanctuary attracts personal attention.

First Baptist has made it a custom to do something similar during Ad-
vent. It is called "White Christmas." Congregants are asked to bring a gift
of food, toys or clothing to the worship service on the Sunday before
Christmas. Each member is invited to bring their gift to the front of the
sanctuary and place it around the Chrismon tree at a designated time in

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the service. It is one of the most moving worship services of the year.
After the Benediction is pronounced, members of the Youth Group divide
the gifts and deliver them to needy families in the community.

Rev. Johnny Phillips resigned as Minister of Education at the begin-
ning of 1990.404 The void created additional work for the rest of the staff
as the church membership exceeded twelve hundred in March. The Per-
sonnel Committee was in the process of evaluating job descriptions at
the time. A plan was being implemented to assign staff ministers the re-
sponsibilities that best suited their strengths rather than asking them to
perform in areas where they were not gifted. The plan was put into place
with the calling of Rev. Jim Everette in July.

Rev. Everette filled the vacant Minister of Education position, but the
job description was changed upon his arrival. One of Rev. Phillips' re-
sponsibilities was to manage the facilities, but Rev. Everette had little
interest or experience in doing such. He had a passion for serving the
needy, the hurting, and the broken people in society who have no advo-
cate. First Baptist wanted to begin touching its community with love by
enlisting members to give of themselves in local mission activities. Rev.
Everette's position became "Minister of Education and Missions," while
Rev. Jeff Lewis began managing the downtown facilities. An immediate
emphasis was placed on the importance of every member becoming in-
volved in a ministry of their choosing. Some members served within
First Baptist while others began taking part in local mission endeavors.

Rev. Everette helped open the eyes of church members to the many
opportunities that surrounded them. The congregation responded en-
thusiastically by committing money, time and energy to making a pos-
itive difference in Wilmington. Better than four hundred members now
take part in on-going ministry opportunities in the Cape Fear region.
Local agencies like the Domestic Violence Center, Lower Cape Fear Hos-
pice, Habitat for Humanity, Good Shepherd Ministries, St. James
Overnight Shelter, Wilmington Interfaith Hospitality Network, Mercy
House, Yahweh Center, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, and others receive
volunteer support from First Baptist. These agencies, and others, are
also included in the mission budget. There is also a team from First Bap-
tist that leads weekly Bible studies and prayer meetings with inmates at
the New Hanover County Jail.

First Baptist Church now has the reputation for providing volunteer
and financial assistance when ministry needs arise in Wilmington. The
church is also known for helping when disasters occur. Ministry teams

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

gave of themselves and their possessions in providing relief to the vic-
tims of Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, South Carolina; Hurricane An-
drew in Homestead, Florida; Hurricane Mitch in Honduras; Hurricane
Katrina along the Gulf Coast, boxes of food were sent to Northern Thai-
land, Iraq, Southern Thailand, and Kosovo. The First Baptist Activities
Center was a feeding site and area command center for the American
Red Cross in the days following Hurricane Fran in 1996, and Floyd in
1999. The church has traveled northward to Boston, as far south as
Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and as far west as New Mexico and Utah on
summer mission trips within the United States. First Baptist members
have taken mission action to heart.

The door to Wilmington was opened wide in 1990, with the comple-
tion of Interstate Forty. The port city was now connected to the rest of
North Carolina, but also to corporate America. The city that boasted the
highest population in the state in 1900, and again in 1945, as a result of
World War II, became a sleepy city known for its Azalea Festival in the
spring and its close proximity to the beach, until 1990. The interstate
linked Wilmington to the Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and
Chapel Hill. The state port became busy again with cargo carriers im-
porting and exporting goods to America. The population of New Hanover
County grew by thirty-three percent over the next ten years, and with the
rise in population came a growth spurt for First Baptist Church that has
continued into the twenty-first century.

In April of 1991, a report from the Buildings Renovation committee
was presented at a quarterly business conference. This committee was
appointed as a result of the church's approval of the report from the Self-
Study Task Force, in 1990. Kit Austin chaired the committee that in-
cluded Bud Davis, Dr. John Stike, Beth Upton, Mary Keith, Jack Davis,
and Carlton Fisher. The recommendation of the committee was that the
pulpit and chancel areas be renovated in the sanctuary. The purpose of
the renovation was to provide additional space for the growth of the
Chancel Choir and to make the baptistry more visible.

The original design of the sanctuary was such that the choir was in a
true loft above the pulpit. There was room for only thirty members in the
loft. The organ was also located in the loft. The baptistery was situated
behind the pulpit which created viewing problems for parishioners. The
location of the baptistery also meant the lectern had to be removed on
the last Sunday of each month when new believers were baptized. After
considerable discussion concerning the proposed renovation, a vote was

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taken and a large majority of the approximate three hundred members
who were present agreed with the recommendation of the committee.
The new design called for moving the pulpit closer to the congregation,
the organ and Chancel Choir were moved down behind the pulpit, and
the baptistery elevated so members could now more easily see those
being baptized. The sanctuary was renovated during the summer of
1992. First Baptist Church met in nearby Thalian Hall for worship serv-
ices during the five months of renovation. The newly configured sanc-
tuary was dedicated on October 18, 1992.

Kenan Maready and Bob Parker were appointed as Co-Chairmen of
the "Visions and Dreams" Capital Campaign needed to pay for sanctuary
renovations, repairs to the exterior of the downtown buildings, purchase
a bus and two vans, and upgrade the interior and grounds at the Activi-
ties Center. The campaign was conducted during the summer and fall of
1991. The goal of the campaign was to raise one million sixty-three thou-
sand dollars that would be given over the following three years. After
months of work, the campaign team recognized that the goal would not
be realized. Still, the church would not be denied from accomplishing as
much of their dream as possible. The sanctuary was renovated, repairs
were completed to the downtown buildings, new vehicles were pur-
chased as they were able to be afforded, and minor adjustments were
made at the Activities Center.

Four new Sunday School classes for adults were started in 1991. A
surge in the number of children now attending the church called for a
new part-time staff position. Mrs. Sandy Rushing began working ten
hours per week as Director of Children's Ministries.

Church membership decreased in 1991, due to a purging of the mem-
bership roll. Better than three hundred members who had not been in
contact with the church over the last ten years were removed from the
church roll. A team was given the responsibility of contacting these
members to inquire of their interest in continuing to be a part of the
church. Some did, but most asked that their name be removed as a re-
sult of their relocating to another city, joining another church, or lack
of involvement in First Baptist. Worship and Sunday School attendance
continued to increase in 1991. By year's end, there was an average of five
hundred sixteen worshippers and three hundred sixty-four in Sunday
School every Sunday.

The church made a decision to designate its Easter offering in 1991,
to a new local venture rather than support the Home Mission Board of

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the Southern Baptist Convention. In keeping its commitment to be-
coming more active in local mission efforts, First Baptist partnered with
the Baptist State Convention, Wilmington Baptist Association, Green-
field Baptist Church in Wilmington, and Providence Baptist Church in
Charlotte, North Carolina to provide the salary for a minister to begin
work in the inner-city of Wilmington. Rev. Jeff Brooks was the first per-
son to serve in this position which eventually became an effort of First
Baptist and the Wilmington Baptist Association. Rev. Brooks resigned
after a couple of years and Rev. David Brisson filled the position that is
now completely funded by the Wilmington Baptist Association.

The congregation chose to do something similar with its Christmas
missions offering. Rather than sending money to the Foreign Mission
Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, First Baptist received an of-
fering for the International Baptist Seminary located in Ruschlikon,
Switzerland. The seminary was being de-funded by the Mission Board as
part of the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.
First Baptist believed in the ministry being provided by the seminary
and supported it as such. The church would also provide teams of vol-
unteers to assist in the relocation of the seminary from Ruschlikon to
Prague, Czech Republic a few years later.

First Baptist helped to begin another vital ministry in September. In
partnership with North Carolina Baptist Hospital and the Wilmington
Baptist Association, First Baptist started the Baptist Counseling Center.
Dr. Mac Wallace served as the first resident counselor. This ministry has
evolved into a program that now includes four offices in the Cape Fear
region and a staff of five certified counselors. First Baptist continues as
a supportive partner of this ministry by providing financial support and
board members.

The budget for 1992 exceeded five hundred thousand dollars, even
though the church was in the midst of a capital campaign. The congre-
gation met the challenge by giving beyond the goal and providing an ad-
ditional three hundred thousand dollars toward the capital campaign.

First Baptist also recognized three of its most influential laymen by
conferring upon them the distinction of "Deacon Emeritus." Wallace
West, Ted Davis, Sr. and Waddell Corbett were recognized for the many
years of service and commitment they rendered to the church.

After six years as Minister of Music, Jeff Lewis resigned on May 17,
1992, to return home to Baxley, Georgia.405 The Chancel choir, youth
and children's choirs grew during Jeffs tenure. He was also responsible

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for beginning three hand bell choirs, two ensembles, and the "Hanging
of the Greens" service.

The Personnel Committee went to work aggressively seeking the next
Minister of Music with the intent of securing another Organist/Choir-
master. After months of traveling, interviews, and auditioning Organ-
ists, Royce Angel, Donna Armstrong, Vicki Mincey, Dan Moore, Janet
Nelson, and Jon Rosborough completed their task. On November 1,
1992, Rev. Kurt Wachtel began as the new Minister of Music.406 Kurt's
wife, Jean, became the organist. It had been forty years since First Bap-
tist had a Minister of Music that did not also serve as organist. Some
members expressed concern about the change. There were some that
were still grieving the resignation of Jeff Lewis. It would not take the
doubters long to realize the gift First Baptist received when God led the
Wachtel family to Wilmington.

Rev. Wachtel provided a fresh professionalism to the music ministry.
The Ohio native and his family came to Wilmington from First Baptist
Church in Monroe, Georgia. Like Dr. Queen, Rev. Wachtel spent a num-
ber of years working in the private sector before entering seminary. After
graduating from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, the Wach-
tel's returned to Mrs. Wachtel's home state of Georgia where they served
before accepting the call to Wilmington. During the last sixteen years,
Kurt and Jean Wachtel have added to the overall ministry of First Bap-
tist. In addition to directing the music ministry, Rev. Wachtel has also
managed the maintenance and renovations of the church facilities. His
keen management skills and eye for decorating have proven to be an es-
sential part of his ministry. Mrs. Wachtel's gregarious personality creates
a smile and ease for most people. Her ability to play the organ and piano
in worship services is appreciated by all. For several years she served as
an administrative secretary for the church. The Christmas concert in
which Rev. Wachtel directs the sixty-voice choir and thirty-piece or-
chestra of First Baptist Church has become a tradition that is enjoyed by
all of Wilmington. The Fourth of July patriotic celebrations, Thanksgiv-
ing Wildlife Banquets, and Easter resurrection worship services directed
by Rev. Wachtel are enjoyed by all.

Kurt, Jean, Tyler, and Seth Wachtel arrived at First Baptist just as the
church was moving back into the newly renovated sanctuary. The deco-
rations at Christmas, 1992, made the old room come alive with its face
lift. Part of the renovation actually restored portions of the building to its
original look. Members who questioned the decision to make changes to

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the sacred space discovered how beautiful the building really was with
the new carpet, fresh paint, and refinished pews and pulpit furniture.

First Baptist Church received new members almost every Sunday
after completing the sanctuary renovations. The majority of new mem-
bers were couples with school-aged children. With the growth experi-
enced in the areas of children and youth ministries the congregation
determined a new staff position was needed. Don Vigus was relieved of
his responsibility to direct the recreation ministry when Gary Harris was
hired as Director of Recreation in 1994. Rev. Vigus moved his office
downtown and Mr. Harris began managing the Activities Center.
Teenagers, Single Adults and Senior Adults now received Don's atten-
tion. The hours for the Director of Children's Ministries position were ex-
panded to fifteen hours per week at this time. Mrs. Vicky Burrell assumed
this leadership role from Sandy Rushing.

The church decided it needed to become incorporated in 1994. Under
the guidance of John Smith, the trustees felt it prudent that the church
protect itself from the prospect of a law suit. Unless incorporated, the
members of the church could be assessed the balance of any judgment
brought against the church that exceeds the assets of the church. The
congregation agreed it was best that the church legally become a non-
profit corporation.407

At the business conference in which the church voted to become in-
corporated, the congregation was informed of a gift left to the church by
Josie Edwards and Mary Lathrop. These sisters were long-time members
of the congregation who left the majority of their estate to the church
they loved. The value of their estate was in excess of three hundred thou-
sand dollars. First Baptist Church has been remembered by many peo-
ple in many ways through wills and bequests; however, this was the
largest monetary gift the church ever received.

A team of deacons who gave of themselves were also shown appreci-
ation by the church before the year came to a close. Leon Brogden, Bert
Blake, Harry Cherry, Fred Conner, Helen Dobson, Dr. Jimmy Smith, Cur-
tis Elliott, Morris Powell, Sr., and Amos Wofford were all honored with
the distinction of becoming Deacon Emeritus.

First Baptist was averaging more than four hundred people in Sun-
day School by the close of 1994. The budget had eclipsed six hundred
thousand dollars. More than one hundred new members joined the
church over the previous twelve months. First Baptist had not realized
that many new members in almost forty years. A second worship serv-

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

ice that mirrored the traditional service was added in October to ac-
commodate the increase in worship attendance. The new worship serv-
ice was held on Sunday mornings at 8:45. Gifts to mission causes were
in excess of one hundred thousand dollars for the first time. Under Dr.
Queen's leadership the church was growing in nearly every aspect of its
ministry. Increases in mission involvement by the membership and nu-
merical increases in membership, attendance, finances, and mission giv-
ing created a new momentum for a church on the move.

Sunday School growth precipitated the congregation beginning to ex-
plore the possibility of purchasing the building beside of the church. Some
Wilmingtonians called it the WLI (Wilmington Light Infantry) Building
and others remembered it as "the old library," but in 1995, it was owned
by the City of Wilmington and being used as office space. The seed had
been planted in 1989, when members of the congregation held prelimi-
nary conversations with city leaders to express interest in purchasing the
building. The church was renting rooms in the Bellamy Mansion to ac-
commodate its expanding Sunday School. Classes were meeting in every
available room in the educational building and the Sidbury House.

Negotiating the purchase of the WLI Building required creativity and
negotiating savvy on the part of Carlton Fisher, Dr. Bertram Williams,
Berry Trice, Dr. Mike Queen, Don Fallis, Lonnie Williams, Jr., Keith
Stark, and others. On April 28, 1996, Dr. Bertram Williams, chairman of
the diaconate, presented the proposal that First Baptist Church purchase
the WLI Building from the City of Wilmington.408 The congregation
voted in the affirmative to make the purchase, but there were still
bridges to be built, and crossed before contracts could be signed.

First Baptist purchased two parcels of land in a newly annexed area
of the city and traded them for the right to buy the building. Negotia-
tions then began between the city, existing members of the Wilmington
Light Infantry and the church. The final agreement came when First
Baptist Church allowed the city to remain in the building through the
end of 1996, without paying rent. The church also agreed to honor the
City of Wilmington's long-standing agreement that allowed members of
the WLI lifetime use of the basement of the building. Additionally, the
church agreed to not alter the front facade of the building that contains
two Civil War cannons and a medal plaque memorializing those mem-
bers of the WLI who were killed when the USS Maine was attacked in
February, 1898. It was an interesting transaction that Carlton Fisher
says was truly a miracle from God.409 The church began using the build-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

ing for Sunday School classes in January of 1997, and moved its admin-
istrative offices to the first floor of the building, in January of 2003.

Another capital campaign was required in order for the congrega-
tion to pay for the indebtedness created by the purchase of the WLI
Building. The addition to the downtown campus also created the op-
portunity to upgrade the educational building again. A connector build-
ing would be required to link the WLI Building to the existing
educational space. With First Baptist Church becoming more involved
in local mission projects, the expanded facilities could provide the
church a means whereby the buildings would serve as a center for mis-
sion work in downtown Wilmington. The idea of the church becoming
more intentional about being Christ in the center of the city created a
new excitement for the membership as they planned for an upcoming
three million dollar campaign.

Excitement turned to mourning, when on the evening of Thursday,
September 5, 1996; Hurricane Fran paid a visit to Wilmington. Winds in
excess of one hundred miles per hour left disaster in its path. The one
hundred ninety-seven foot steeple that withstood the winds of many hur-
ricanes, fell victim to Fran and lay as a pile of rubble in the middle of
Market Street as the sun rose the next morning. News reporters from
across the southeast converged on Wilmington. Almost one dozen trucks
fitted with satellite dishes beamed pictures of the damaged building to
viewers around the globe. The smell of heart pine wood filled the down-
town air. Hundreds of people came from across the city to pick up one
of the thousands of brick and pieces of timber and slate that littered bet-
ter than a block of Market Street. Souvenir hunters were in paradise,
while members of the congregation stood weeping. Members of the con-
gregation gave their day to picking up pieces of the fallen steeple rather
than cleaning up debris on their own property.

The gapping hole in the top of the downtown church made the build-
ing unsafe for worshippers, but two days later the First Baptist family
gathered for worship at their Activities Center. Reporters and camera
operators from across the country surrounded the congregation as Dr.
Queen announced:

In a very real sense, the world looks in on us today. The
world is fascinated by a steeple lying on the corner of Fifth
and Market. The good news is the foundation of the church is
still there. Is that not a parable of our own lives? As long as the

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

foundation of our faith is firm, we will rise up. We will rebuild
to the glory of God. You can be sure of that.410

After meeting away from the sanctuary for two weeks, the congrega-
tion began worshipping again at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market
Street. Yellow tape indicated parts of the interior of the sanctuary were
danger zones for several months. Letters of encouragement with checks
for as little as five dollars and as much as five thousand dollars came to
the church from people across America who had seen the damaged sanc-
tuary on national news. One letter with a check enclosed came from a
lady in Homestead, Florida who said she remembered how the Wilm-
ington church came to her aid after Hurricane Andrew, now she wanted
to return the favor. A letter from Wilmington's First Presbyterian Church
came with a financial gift and a note that read, "We now have the tallest
steeple in the city, but only for a short while." Better than thirty thou-
sand dollars was received for steeple repairs from interested parties who
wanted the spire to stand again.

First Baptist did just what their pastor said they would. A Steeple Re-
construction committee made up of Bud Davis, Bobby Cox, Sam Bis-
sette, Kit Austin, Kenny Smith and Dr. Bertram Williams was appointed
to act on behalf of the church in planning for the reconstruction. Using
photographs and designs of the original steeple, architects with Atkin-
son, Dyer and Watson in Charlotte, redesigned the steeple with engi-
neering assistance from church members, Jeff Troutman, David Criser,
and Bud Davis. Bobby Cox, another member of First Baptist, was asked
to serve as general contractor for the rebuilding project. By March of
1998, the steeple was ready to be raised again. More than seventeen thou-
sand pounds of weight was lifted in twenty foot sections to complete the
project. The last section was put into place on October 13, 1998.

The first business conference of 1997 found First Baptist confident
that its best days were before them. As the church planned for a new
spire, Bob Parker and Mike Cockerham, chairmen of an upcoming cap-
ital campaign, brought a motion to enter into an agreement with Re-
source Services Incorporated to consult with them on the campaign.411
The congregation approved the motion, and ten months later pledged to
give two million three hundred thousand dollars to pay the debt on the
WLI Building, renovate it, renovate the existing educational building,
and construct a new building that would connect the WLI Building to
the educational building. The project would actually cost nearly three

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

million dollars, and the congregation gave it all. The capital campaign
was rightly named, "Heritage and Hope."

A second motion that was approved on January 12, 1997, was for the
church to create a full-time position for a Minister of Children.412 Rev.
Dena Rogers was called to fill that position on June 8, with additional re-
sponsibilities for congregational care. Two years later, Rev. Lin Carter
replaced Rev. Rogers when he was called as Minister of Education and
Children. Rev. Jim Everette's title was changed to Associate Pastor at
that point. After Rev. Carter resigned in 2001, the church divided the re-
sponsibilities and created two part-time positions. Mrs. Jeannie Trout-
man became Director of Children's Ministries and Mrs. Jayne Davis
began directing the Christian Education ministry. Both of these ladies
were members of the church and had a passion for their respective areas
of ministry.

Jeannie Troutman brought to her position intentionality and orga-
nizational skills along with a love for children and a desire to see them
grow in their understanding of God's love. Jayne Davis was a divinity
school student at Campbell University when she joined the staff of First
Baptist Church. Her position was expanded to full-time during her final
year at Campbell and upon completing her class work the congregation
ordained her in 2004.

A third female member who was added to the First Baptist staff is
Mrs. Charlotte Johnson. Like Jayne Davis, Jeannie Troutman, Kelly
Reynolds, and Joe Sutton, Charlotte Johnson was hired from within the
church family. She and her husband, Wayne, had been First Baptist
members for a number of years. In 2002, the congregation determined
they needed a staff person to coordinate the care for elderly members
and to direct support group ministries. Mrs. Johnson was the perfect
choice of the Personnel Committee as she had developed a great rapport
with the homebound members and their care givers.

The third motion that carried on January 12, 1997 was that the
church declared the next twelve months as "A Year of Prayer."413 This
may have been the most significant thing that happened that evening. A
special emphasis was placed on the power of prayer in the life of First
Baptist Church over the rest of the year. A series of sermons was deliv-
ered during January and February. Discipleship seminars were taught
on Wednesday evenings. A prayer vigil was conducted during Holy Week.
Sunday School lessons centered on prayer were prepared by a team of lay
leaders. First Baptist became a church that rediscovered the importance

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A Heritage of Hope into A New Millenium

and power of prayer in 1997. Dr. Queen was the beneficiary of a good
many prayers during the year. In addition to his pastoral responsibili-
ties in Wilmington, he served as President of the General Board of the
Baptist State Convention during a time when the conflict within the
Southern Baptist Convention was roaring into North Carolina.

In 1998, the centennial anniversary of the Wilmington race riot of
1898 was celebrated. In recognition of its disappointment and sorrow
for what occurred one hundred years earlier, First Baptist designated
1998 as the year of racial harmony. Three couples represented the
church in a group of eighteen people from predominately black and
white congregations that agreed to meet weekly for six months to ad-
dress issues that caused racial separation in Wilmington. First Baptist
also hosted a quarterly forum with African-American speakers who dis-
cussed similarities and differences in the two races. The pastor of the
African-American First Baptist Church of Wilmington filled the pulpit at
Fifth and Market one Sunday. An African-American professor, along with
the gospel choir from Wake Forest University led in worship at First Bap-
tist one Sunday. As in the previous year, a series of Sunday School les-
sons dealing with the annual theme was also developed by a team of lay
leaders. The majority of classes utilized these lessons during the month
of October.

A change in staff occurred when Gary Harris resigned as Activities
Director. Mrs. Laurel Zitney followed Mr. Harris. Mrs. Zitney was trained
in leading exercise groups and implemented a wellness plan as part of the
athletic leagues and church wide outings that made up the majority of
the calendar at the Activities Center. Recognizing the gifts Laurel
brought to this arm of ministry, the Personnel Committee altered the job
description to reflect the vitality of maintaining good health. The job
title was changed to Director of Recreation and Wellness. Mrs. Zitney
relocated from Wilmington two years later and Joe Sutton assumed the
position. Joe was a thirty-year member of First Baptist who had recently
retired from secular employment. As a respected leader of the church
who spent a good deal of time at the Activities Center and had chaired
numerous committees, including the diaconate, the decision to employ
Mr. Sutton was a good one. Few people are more committed to First Bap-
tist Church than Joe Sutton.

"Mission Possible" days became a regular part of the calendar and
lifestyle of First Baptist members beginning in 1998. Two days a year
were designated as days when church members committed to partici-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

pating in hands-on mission projects in the community. Two hundred
members normally take part in these ministry days in addition to the
many on-going projects First Baptist is about. Feeding the hungry, build-
ing houses for Habitat, doing yard work for the elderly, visiting the
homebound and leading Bible clubs in housing projects are but a few of
the activities that take place on these ministry days. A new emphasis was
placed on the importance of doing mission work rather than just pro-
viding finances for others to provide missionary service. Though First
Baptist was providing almost twenty-five percent of its overall gifts to
mission causes, the time, energy and effort put forth by the congregation
may have exceeded the monetary contributions. In addition to the pos-
itive difference the church was making in the city, their presence was
being felt around the world.

First Baptist, opening its Activities Center as the southeastern North
Carolina area's collection center for Samaritan's Purse's Operation
Christmas Child ministry, closed out the year in 1998. Better than
twenty-five thousand shoe box gifts were delivered to the Center where
First Baptist members received them, boxed and labeled them, and
loaded the cartons into cargo containers to be shipped to children in
war-torn countries around the world. The church served as the collec-
tion center for the following nine years. The number of boxes received
has grown to almost thirty-five thousand. First Baptist members nor-
mally contribute fifteen hundred shoe box gifts.

In addition to encouraging mission involvement as a lifestyle, Dr.
Queen's pastorate has included a challenge for members to consider
God's call to vocational ministry. As a result of his preaching, teaching,
modeling and mentoring, twelve persons have pursued God's call to sem-
inary, and five have been ordained to professional ministry by First Bap-
tist during his twenty-one years as pastor.

The theme for 1999 was "Honoring Our Baptist Heritage." As in the
last two years, a program of guest speakers, seminars and Sunday School
lessons were planned and conducted. An important part of the history
and heritage of First Baptist is its emphasis on starting new churches
and that continued in 1999. Wrightsboro Baptist Church began North
Wilmington Community Church in October of 1998, but additional fi-
nancial support and people were needed in its early days. First Baptist
contributed twenty thousand dollars over a three year period
(1999-2002) and provided members to care for and teach children dur-
ing Sunday School for the first twelve months. The first location where

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the church met was at Eaton elementary school on Gordon road. They
acquired a warehouse at the corner of Kerr Avenue and Blue Clay Road
in 2003, but it needed to be renovated before being used as office space
and a worship center. First Baptist provided teams of volunteers that as-
sisted in the renovation.

The enlarged downtown campus created maintenance issues for First
Baptist as each of its buildings was at least eighty years old. Renovations
hid cosmetic scars, but in 1999, the church came to the realization that
a facilities manager was needed in order for its buildings and vehicles to
receive their required attention. Mr. Kelly Reynolds, a long-time mem-
ber of the church who was considering retirement from his secular em-
ployment, was approached about accepting this new role. Mr. Reynolds
was a deacon who gave many Saturdays to painting and small repairs at
the church. It was a natural fit for the church to acquire his time, gifts
and service for a people and place he loved. For the last nine years, the
congregation has benefited from their decision to hire Kelly Reynolds as
the manager of their facilities.

As the twentieth century came to a close, First Baptist expressed their
thanks to a team of men who served as its guide through the ministry of
being a deacon. Hyton Babson, Sam Bissette, Jack Davis, Percy Hedquist,
Bill Hinton, Lonnie Williams, Sr., and Jim Fitzgerald received the honor
of becoming Deacon Emeritus. The diaconate itself was enlarged from
forty members to fifty-six because of additional responsibilities entailed
as a result of continued numerical growth within the congregation. The
resident membership stood at one thousand four hundred forty-four.414
Six hundred seventy people gathered for worship and four hundred
ninety in Sunday School each week. The proposed budget for 2000 ex-
ceeded one million dollars for the first time. Nearly two and one-half
million dollars were given to support the ministry and capital campaign
of the church. One hundred thirty-one new members were received in
1999. Dr. Jimmy Smith provided the gift of a new fifty-two passenger
luxury bus to be used for mission trips and church sponsored outings.
While the world prepared for the uncertainty of Y2K, First Baptist
Church was planning and preparing for an exciting beginning to a new
millennium.

A population that is sometimes over-looked in churches is those peo-
ple who are developmentally disabled and have special needs. They, and
their parents and care-givers, face challenges of which people are often
unaware. In 2000, First Baptist put a spotlight on the needs of these in-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

dividuals and families by educating the congregation about the ministry
opportunities that surround them. "The Year of Special Needs" included
parents of exceptional children introducing themselves and their chil-
dren to the church as a part of worship services. Parents educated the
congregation by describing the difference in their life as a result of the
challenges their children face everyday. They expressed appreciation for
the love and support they received from the church and advised the
membership of ways they could best minister to families different from
their own. Seminars were planned throughout the year to give the
church a new awareness of the blessing exceptional children provides. A
support group for parents of exceptional children was begun and First
Baptist made the commitment to becoming an ACCESS church whereby
alterations would be made to the buildings so they would be accessible
to people with physical disabilities.

Not only did the church commit to making adjustments to their
buildings so access would not be denied to those with physical chal-
lenges, but First Baptist made their Activities Center accessible to an-
other congregation in 2001. A fire destroyed the facilities of The Rock
Church in the winter of 2000. With no place for the five hundred mem-
ber church to meet for worship, leaders of the Pentecostal congregation
approached First Baptist about allowing them to use the Activities Cen-
ter on Sunday mornings. The deacons voted unanimously to allow The
Rock use of the building.415 The First Baptist Church gymnasium be-
came an interim worship center for nearly two and one-half years while
The Rock Church completed construction of their new building.

In February of 2001, First Baptist Church opened its doors to the
hungry and homeless of Wilmington. Good Shepherd Ministries was in
need of a temporary location to serve weekday lunches to approximately
200 guests. The ecumenical ministry was forced to relocate from its
home at Church of the Good Shepherd until a new facility could be con-
structed. In an effort not to suspend their feeding ministry, Good Shep-
herd was seeking a partner who would provide a kitchen, dining room,
and volunteers to staff the dining room. First Baptist stepped up with
the facility and more than one hundred volunteers. When the soup
kitchen moved to its new home, sixteen months later, many First Bap-
tist members went with them to continue the service and relationships
formed while hosting the ministry.

First Baptist Church kept hope alive for Good Shepherd and the
guests who depend upon them for nutritional meals and a place to call

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home. The opportunity to host this ministry did more for the church
than for those who came for the food. Members who had never stepped
out of their comfort zone to do mission work engaged in ministry in the
comfortable confines of their church. After experiencing the blessing of
feeding "the least of these" the members were ready to venture outside
the walls of the church to share the love of Christ. This is something
Bill Brooks, Dr. Andy Cracker, Bob Kennedy, Pat Warren, and Chester
Jones did most of their life; and one of the reasons they became mem-
bers of the Deacon Emeritus group in 2001.

Some people are near-sighted. They are the ones who operate out of
fear rather than faith. Others are far-sighted. These people are vision-
ary. From the day he arrived as pastor of the historic downtown church,
Dr. Mike Queen dreamed great dreams of what First Baptist Church
could become. By April of 2001, the trust level of the congregation was
higher than it had ever been. At that point, Dr. Queen informed the di-
aconate that it was time for the congregation to begin working on a
strategic plan to address growth issues and develop mission and vision
statements to guide the church for the next ten years. Periodic plans
were formulated and completed throughout Dr. Queen's pastorate, but
this one would be the most aggressive yet. With a vision for reaching
unchurched people, the fifty-five-year-old pastor led the congregation
to prepare the outline for the future of First Baptist Church.

After an October staff retreat, the diaconate, staff and congregation
appointed a "Future Story Group" that was responsible for appointing
five teams designated to develop a mission statement, vision statement,
and appoint purpose teams to develop strategic plans for the church in
the following areas: worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and
ministry (Appendix 20). The new vision included an aggressive and in-
tentional effort to become more inclusive and evangelistic than the
church had been in many years, maybe ever. The mission was to become
and assist others to become "fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ." A
church wide "Forty Days of Purpose" spiritual growth campaign fueled
the enthusiasm of the congregation to look beyond itself and dream of
whom, and what each individual, and First Baptist as a whole could be-
come if they joined God in ministering in the heart of Wilmington.

Mrs. Sandy Smith's devotional thought that opened a monthly meet-
ing of the diaconate in April of 2003 emphasized Christ's challenge to
"Change the World." The impact of the devotion created a ripple effect
that energized the deacons and spilled over to the entire congregation.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

What began as a renewed interest in local mission action developed into
waves of expansion and change in the overall ministry of First Baptist
Church. The next five years would be filled with new ideas, new min-
istries, new buildings, new challenges and new members injecting new
energy into the congregation that was already riding a wave of growth
in all aspects of the church.

The church celebrated with its Associate Pastor as Jim Everette
earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Baptist Theological Semi-
nary, at Richmond, Virginia in May. Part of their affirmation for what
the minister with a passion for mission work across the street and
around the world had accomplished was to partner with other North
Carolina Baptists by sending boxes of non-perishable food to starving
people in Iraq. First Baptist lead all other churches by sending two hun-
dred boxes of dry beans, rice, flour, sugar and other staples of a Middle-
Eastern diet. Each box contained approximately sixty dollars worth of
food. As with most other church-wide efforts, the contents of the boxes
were purchased and donated from all segments of the congregation and
packed by members of the Youth Group with notes detailing God's love
for the recipients.

The fall of 2003 escorted in discussions to renovate and expand the
church's Activities Center. It was decided that a three-phase approach
to renovating the existing building and adding almost eleven thousand
feet of space to the thirty year-old building should be executed but there
would be plans to be made and money to be raised before the expansion
could begin. The church was growing, but they were being cautious so
as to make sure they did not overextend themselves. However, God was
at work in the details being brought forth by committees of the church
and it became obvious that the church was becoming unleashed in the
personal discipleship of its members, its mission work outside itself and
its ministry to one another.

In August of 2003, the church waded into a property expansion effort
that became a public football that was fumbled back and forth between
New Hanover County officials, private investors and trustees of First
Baptist Church for two years. The New Hanover County Board of Com-
missioners accepted an offer from the church to purchase the building
that formerly housed the New Hanover County Law Enforcement Cen-
ter. The church offered to buy the fifty-nine thousand square foot build-
ing for one million dollars. Four members of the seven-member Board
of Commissioners agreed to accept the offer. However, a few disgruntled

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members of the community created chaos by claiming the deteriorat-
ing building was worth much more money than what the church offered
and that the building should be made available for public auction. After
two years of wrangling over whether the church had a binding contract
with the county, First Baptist Church — with the devoted lay leadership
of Carlton Fisher, Berry Trice, and Claude Arnold — became the official
owners of the building on July 17, 2005. The building was renamed the
Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center in memory of the wife of Bobby Harrel-
son, a member of the church.

Mr. Harrelson requested a meeting over lunch with Mike Queen and
Jim Everette, in May of 2005, to share his plan to give the church the one
million dollars that was needed to purchase the Law Enforcement Cen-
ter. He said he wanted to make the contribution in memory of his de-
ceased wife of forty-five years because in her last days, she had expressed
a deep desire that she and Mr. Harrelson play a significant role in help-
ing the church purchase the building if the opportunity arose. Jo Ann
Harrelson spent a good deal of her adult life serving others out of her
commitment to Jesus Christ. Mr. Harrelson said, "This gift comes to
First Baptist Church because of my love for Jo Ann and our shared in-
terest in helping those less fortunate than ourselves."416 With extensive
repairs to the exterior of the building and renovations to the interior of
the administrative side, the thirty year old former New Hanover County
Law Enforcement Center and Jail was transformed from a center of in-
carceration to a building used for Christian humanitarian purposes. The
church voted to establish the building as a non-profit corporation with
its own nine-member Board of Directors and leased the building to the
Board for one dollar a year for at least twenty years. The Jo Ann Carter
Harrelson Center is now home to the administrative offices of Cape Fear
Habitat for Humanity; Campus Crusade for Christ; Communities in
Schools; Wilmington Youth Center for Inspiration, Recreation and Ed-
ucation; Phoenix Employment Ministry; Southeastern Sickle Cell Asso-
ciation; and other ministry organizations that offer hope and healing to
many people. The purchase of the Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center also
provided a parking garage that gave the church an additional seventy-
nine parking spaces for the better than nine hundred people that were
gathering at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street to worship
each Sunday.

Strategies generated by the purpose teams of 2001 were implemented
beginning in 2004 with the most obvious ones being the start of a new

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

church, the launching of another capital campaign, and a change in the
number of worship services offered at the corner of Fifth Avenue and
Market Street on Sunday mornings.

The year began with Mrs. Jayne Davis being ordained as a minister.
She was the first female ordained by the church as a minister in better
than twenty years. Reverend Davis was serving the congregation as Di-
rector of Christian Education at the time of her ordination. Her title was
changed immediately to Minister of Spiritual Formation and Leadership
Development. Her passion to assist others in discovering their spiritual
gifts and utilizing their gifts to grow in their relationship with Christ
and serve others made her a vital part of the spiritual and numerical
growth of the congregation.

First Baptist was blessed to add Dr. Frank Hawkins to its ministerial
staff a few months later. Dr. Hawkins and his wife, Pat, relocated to
Wilmington to live near their daughter and her family after retiring
from the pastorate of First Baptist Church of Kingsport, Tennessee. His
years of experience as a pastor and missionary to Brazil equipped Dr.
Hawkins with a wealth of wisdom that the congregation and pastors of
First Baptist Church saw as a great asset for their church. His pulpit
presence, teaching ability and counseling skill was first-rate and the
church took advantage of the opportunity that God offered. Dr.
Hawkins was asked to serve as a permanent part-time member of the
ministerial staff as Minister of Pastoral Care filling the role previously
served by Mrs. Charlotte Johnson. His responsibilities included visiting
homebound members, filling the pulpit ocassionally, officiating for
weddings and funerals, providing counsel to members as needed and
leading discipleship seminars and Sunday School classes. Dr. Hawkins
had a winsome personality, loving spirit and willingness to serve when
ever called upon. He proved to be a vital piece of the pastoral team of
the church.

Three months later, First Baptist partnered with Winter Park Bap-
tist and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, in start-
ing a new church across the Cape Fear River. North Brunswick
Fellowship Church was launched at Belville elementary school in April
of 2004, with twenty-seven charter members; twenty from First Bap-
tist. The husband and wife team of Rob and Mickie Norman were
called to serve as Co-pastors of the fledgling congregation. The church
was unashamedly Baptist but chose not to include the word "Baptist"
in its name because one of the goals of the church was to reach out to

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new residents of northern Brunswick County and there was the
thought that the word "Baptist" may keep some people from attend-
ing. Many of the new homeowners that were relocating to the Cape
Fear region were migrating from the northeastern United States
where there are few Baptist churches. What began as a small group of
committed believers has grown to an average attendance of approxi-
mately sixty-five persons as the church approaches its fifth anniver-
sary.

A capital campaign called "Promise and Purpose: Being Christ in the
Heart of Our City" was also launched by the mother church in April of
2004. Two of the most respected members of the church — Berry Trice
and Dr. Bertram Williams — co-chaired the campaign to provide the ma-
jority of the money needed to renovate and expand the existing Activi-
ties Center. The congregation pledged $2.9 million and gave better than
$3 million over the next four years. Still, in order for the plans for the
new Activities Center to become a reality, even more money would be
needed. The money came to the church through one of its most gener-
ous members but it was not until his death that the gift was realized.

Dr. Jimmy Smith died in February of 2005, at the age of ninety-eight.
He had been a member of First Baptist Church for eighty-eight years;
longer than anyone ever had. Dr. Smith executed a Last Will and Testa-
ment, in September of 2002, when he was ninety-five-years-old. First Bap-
tist Church was named as the primary beneficiary of his estate because Dr.
Smith's wife of better than fifty years, Iris, had died in December of 2001
and the couple's only child, James A. Smith, had died in April of 2002
leaving Dr. Smith as the lasting survivor of his immediate family. Ex-
tended family members of Dr. Smith challenged his will by filing a caveat
contesting its validity on the grounds that Dr. Smith was incapable of ex-
ecuting a will at age ninety-seven because he was not of sound mind.
However, in April of 2006, after weeks of testimony from dozens of wit-
nesses in a court of law, an agreement was made between First Baptist
Church, family members of Dr. Smith and care givers of the elderly den-
tist. The portion of Dr. Smith's estate that was realized by the church was
in excess of four million dollars after all property was sold and liquidated
into cash. This is the largest gift ever made to First Baptist Church. The
majority of the assets the church received from the estate were used to-
ward the expansion and renovation of the Activities Center.

September 11 is a significant date in the history of First Baptist
Church but even more so in the history of our nation. September 11,

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

2001 is a day that Americans will never forget. The September 11, 2001
attacks (often referred to as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide
attacks by Islamic Extremists (al-Qaeda) upon the United States.

On that morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial pas-
senger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the air-
liners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City,
one plane into each tower, resulting in the collapse of both buildings
soon afterward and extensive damage to nearby buildings. The hijackers
crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia,
near Washington, D.C. Passengers and members of the flight crew on
the fourth aircraft attempted to retake control of their plane from the hi-
jackers; that plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. Aside from
the hijackers, 2,974 people died as an immediate result of the attacks. A
few weeks later our nation entered into a war in Iraq that continues to
this day.

September 11, 2005 was the day that First Baptist expanded from two
worship services that mirrored each other to three services that were
very different in the hope of reaching out to unchurched people across
the greater Wilmington area.

The traditional service at 11:00 a.m. remained as it had for many
years. However, a new service at 8:00 a.m. that included serving com-
munion each week was begun in the Chapel. The service did not offer a
choir or anthem and lasted approximately forty minutes. The hope was
that the intimacy of meeting in the Chapel would make this worship ex-
perience appealing to an average of eighty worshippers weekly. In real-
ity, the service was attended fairly well from the beginning but
attendance began to wane after a year so the service was discontinued at
the end of 2007 with an average attendance of thirty.

One of the more radical moves the church has ever taken was the
new 9:00 a.m. worship service. The service was held in the one hundred
thirty-four year-old sanctuary but featured drama, film-clips shown on
plasma television screens, casual dressed worshippers and worship lead-
ers, and a band and contemporary praise music rather than a choir
singing traditional hymns. Lead by Rev. Kurt Wachtel, the band and
singers brought a new enthusiasm to the up-beat worship services. The
same sermon was preached in each of the three worship services but the
varied components of each service made them different. The projection
of the ministerial staff and study team was that the progressive worship
service would appeal to a younger group of people. However, the service

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was attended by people from across generational lines from the first serv-
ice and this has continued to be the case. The average worship atten-
dance was greater than what was expected from the beginning and
continued to increase to the point that there are as many people who
worship at 9:00 a.m. as there are at 11:00 a.m. on any given Sunday. The
expansion of the worship options meant an average increase of approx-
imately two hundred worshippers each week.

The annual business meeting of 2006, held on January 15, was a cel-
ebration of the many accomplishments by the congregation, over the
previous twelve months. As was always the case at the annual meeting,
the Activities Center was filled with people — young and old — and ap-
plause followed the reports from each standing committee of the church
but the loudest applause came with a recommendation from the chair-
persons of the diaconate, trustees and Financial Management. These
three people represented the unanimous support of the members of each
of these ministries that the church begin renovating and expanding the
Activities Center. Ballard Architects was selected to design the new build-
ing and contracts were signed with McKinley Building Corporation to
erect the new structure. Rick Miley served as chairman of the commit-
tee responsible for overseeing the tumultuous project that took nearly
two years to complete. With the capable and generous leadership of nu-
merous members of the congregation, two phases of a three phase plan
to renovate and expand the Activities Center were finished. As with all
ministries of the church, the First Baptist family stepped up with many
members playing significant roles in seeing the project thru. Donations
of time, material, expertise, labor and love were needed and given along
the way and prayers were lifted daily for the builders and those that
would be ministered to by the opening of the new center for recreation,
fellowship, evangelism, discipleship, wellness, and worship for people of
all ages.

As ground was being broken for the new Activities Center, the vi-
sionary pastor recognized that the greatest challenge for First Baptist
Church was not to build and pay for a new building but to meet the
needs of future generations. He knew that it would take all the leader-
ship qualities God had given him to continue steering the church in the
right direction. At the March meeting of the diaconate, Dr. Queen shared
four goals he had set for the church.

The first goal was to prepare ready and willing leaders to do what-
ever needed to be done, with God's grace, to move the church through

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

the 21st Century. The second goal was to continue dreaming with the
leadership of the church such that they would not lose their sense of
mission and vision. The third goal was to work with the Financial Man-
agement Committee to assure that the church would remain on a solid
financial foundation. And, the fourth goal was to lead the church to pay
off any indebtedness for its downtown buildings, the Jo Ann Carter Har-
relson Center and the Activities Center and keep the physical plant of
First Baptist Church in first class shape with no major maintenance is-
sues. Members of the diaconate embraced these goals as their own and
committed to work beside their pastor in keeping these goals before the
congregation as a whole.

Goals three and four are much easier to measure than the first two
of Dr. Queen's goals so it was decided that a new vehicle would need to
be designed to assist in preparing the congregation and keeping it ac-
countable to the first two goals. A Strategic Planning Team, made up of
thirty-six members of the church, was appointed by the ministerial staff
and Mark Hamlet (Diaconate chair) in 2007, to work with the ministers
to develop strategies for making First Baptist a missional church, as it
strived to meet the goals Dr. Queen had set. The team adopted the theme
"Shaped By God's Heart: Being Changed, Changing the World" because
they believed this was the calling of God upon their lives and the life of
First Baptist Church from its earliest days. Team members discerned
God's desire for the church is to develop a deeper, more authentic rela-
tionship with God grounded in prayer, the study of scripture, and ex-
pressed by an external transformation in the way they live out God's love.
This happens when church members encounter God's holiness in wor-
ship, deepen their pursuit of knowing God by becoming intentional
about their personal devotional life, and expect God to change them and
change the world by every member of the church recognizing their call
to be a minister. This is a gargantuan task that will be constantly evolv-
ing and changing as each member grows in their relationship with
Christ, and each other, and new members join the church.

The annual business conference for 2007 was preempted by the rib-
bon-cutting for the newly expanded and renovated Activities Center on
January 6, 2008. It was a day of celebration with better than six hundred
members and friends of First Baptist taking part in presentations and
prayers of thanksgiving for all that God has done in and through the
first Baptists of Wilmington over the last 200 years. Rev. Daryl Trexler
was introduced as the new Minister of Administration and Senior Adults.

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Mr. Chad Long was presented keys to the new building as he came to be
the Director of Recreation. The church reveled in the way God had
blessed it with more than two thousand three hundred members, over
one million eight hundred thousand dollars given to support the mission
and ministry budget of the church in 2007, over four million dollars re-
ceived in designated and undesignated offerings, and better than two
hundred thousand dollars given to mission causes in the previous twelve
months.

Tours of the new building that Rev. Jayne Davis referred to as "the
front door of First Baptist Church" were given. The beautiful new build-
ing houses a state-of-the-art weekday pre-school, kitchen, bookstore,
game room with the latest technology, meeting rooms, conference
rooms, dressing rooms, and space for meditation and reflection for in-
dividuals and groups to complement the existing gymnasium. The cost
of the new construction and renovations exceeded the three million dol-
lars the church had committed for the project but three special gifts
from the estates of deceased members allowed for phases one and two to
be completed.

The estate gifts of Dr. Jimmy Smith, Vallance, Virginia and Vernell
DeVane, and Helen Fussell provided the extra money needed to see the
expanded Activities Center become a reality. The extreme generosity of
Dr. Smith and the DeVane sisters was recognized by the church when
they named the largest meeting room on the first floor of the Activities
Center Smith Hall and the entire second floor the DeVane Conference
Center. Many more days of celebration will take place in the year to come
as the church prepares for its two hundredth anniversary.

Though the original house of worship lies but a few blocks from the
place First Baptist worships in 2008, the church is a long way from
where it started. Still, voices from the past continue echoing in the pres-
ent as God's spirit stirs the hearts and minds of those that occupy the
pulpit and the pews of First Baptist Church. The membership is much
larger, the buildings are bigger, the budget is greater and the ministries
are more diverse than ever before, but the First Baptist Church of Wilm-
ington, North Carolina is as it always has been — its greatest asset lies not
in the size of its congregation, budget, or appearance of its facilities but
in the heart and action of its people as they continue to become and help
others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. May it always
be so to the glory of God.

209

Epilogue

From the fragile founding days of First Baptist Church, to the opening
of 2008, the mission of the church has been to lead people to a saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ by providing a living witness of God's grace.
The means by which they have attempted to accomplish this mission is
by offering hope to those in despair, love to the undesirable, and God's
grace to the undeserving. There has been a deepening concern for desti-
tute, despised, hungry, innocent children and elderly who are robbed of
every vestige of normal life. The church has dealt vigorously and coura-
geously with many of the moral and social challenges of every genera-
tion.

Singer/songwriter, Bernice Johnson Reagan instructed, "If, in mov-
ing through your life, you find yourself lost, go back to the last place
where you knew who you were, and what you were doing, and start from
there."417 First Baptist Church has faced many challenges and tempta-
tions over the last two hundred years. Yet, in the midst of these trials, it
has remained loyal to its founding principles by glancing back over its
shoulder occasionally at its heritage while yearning for the hope in its
future. Rather than allowing its vision to become blurred by voices of de-
spair, First Baptist has resisted leaving its first love and remained com-
mitted to its tradition.

In managing conflict, celebrating victories, supporting each other and
loving its neighbors, First Baptist Church has had as its constant com-
panion the hope and assurance that in Jesus Christ there is always a glo-
rious future toward which believers can press onward with renewed faith
and confidence. Envisioning the future is no small task, but First Baptist
Church is confident that the Spirit of God will lead them to the best that
is yet to be. Regardless of the challenges that lie ahead, First Baptist
Church has high aspirations for its future because of the rich inheritance
of its past. The first Baptists in Wilmington were a people of hope and
those that make up First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North Carolina,
two hundred years later, carry with them the heritage of that hope.

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Appendices

Appendix One

Original Church Constitution

We whose names are hereunto subscribed, being now assembled in
the Baptist Meeting House in the Town of Wilmington, N.C., and being
Baptized on a profession of repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ do hereby on this the thirteenth of April in the Year of our
Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and thirty-three, most solemnly
agree among ourselves to become a regular independent constituted
Church of our Lord, do now give ourselves to each other and request our
brethren in the Christian ministry who are now present with us to wit-
ness this our solemn engagement to admonish us with respect to our du-
ties and privileges in this the second relation, and commend us to God
and the word of his grace which is able to build us up and to give us an
inheritance among all them that are Sanctified.

Original Church Covenant

For as much as it has pleased God Almighty to turn us from darkness
to light and to unite us in one Body by the Blood of the Cross; For as
much as in his providence he has fixed the bounds of our habitation, that
our local relations to each other invites us to unite together for our mu-
tual benefit, and for the advancement of his cause; we therefore unitedly
give up ourselves to the Lord and to one another according to his will, in-
church fellowship. We do covenant and agree to take the Bible and the
Bible only, as the most clear comprehensive and perfect rule, in Doctri-
nal, Experimental and Practical Religion, as the most safe and only in-
fallible Rule by which to regulate our principles, tempers and whole
behavior. We agree next to the honor and glory of God that we will seek
the welfare of the Church of our Saviour; and particularly that branch of
it to which we ourselves belong. That we will pray for the peace of
Jerusalem, that peace may be within her walls and prosperity within her

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

palaces; we will not forsake the assembling of our selves together, nor
grow sleep nor slumber to our eyes to the neglect of the sacred place
where two or three meet together to pray and read and sing in the name
of the Lord. We will love the place where his honor dwelleth and will
never forsake the houses of his abode. We will submit to the order and dis-
cipline of the Church according to the doctrine Example, and admoni-
tions of our Lord, Ambassadors or Apostles to the Church in pure and
primitive times. We will employ our talents and our substances accord-
ing to our ability for the benefit of the Church with which we are
covenanted for the cause of God in general. We will regard the Table of the
Lord as sacred to the memory of his unmerited love, his painful and ac-
cursed death and his atoning sacrifice for a lost world. We will regard it
to provoke one another to love and to good work. In dependence upon di-
vine aid we resolve and agree to love one another in the Lord; to follow
after things that make for our peace, and whereby one may edify or build
up another, to speak no evil one of another, to watch over one another, not
from evil surmisings, but from faithful affection, from Christian love, not
to find fault, not to wound but heal, not to kill but to cure, to reprove if
need be in the most tender manner with the sole view of alluring the
mind to right reflections and of regaining the heart to its first love; to
correct public transgressions only with public rebuke; to observe most
cautiously, and most unfailingly for all private and personal offenses the
rule given in Matthew 18; 15-17 verses which rule every member of a
gospel church ought by memory to know; to avoid all tattling, tale bear-
ing, whispering, backbiting, and publishing the faults of each other or
surmising evil; thus happily evincing to the world, that we are a bond of
brothers, and that we stand fast in the spirit; and with one mind striving
together for the Faith of the gospel and that a constituted Church of
Christ "is a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed." To this
Covenant and agreement in dependence on divine aid we subscribe our
unworthy names.

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Appendix Two

To the Churches of the Chowan Association

Dear Brethren and Sisters:

It is my intention to visit as many of you as I possibly can during the
ensuing summer. My object in visiting you is three fold — to renew old
acquaintances, to form new ones, and to plead with you for aid to assist
us in building a house for the Lord. You were kind enough at your late As-
sociation to allow me to explain my object before your body, for which I
sincerely thank you. I am glad that some of my ministering brethren, and
others who are not ministers, are acquainted with our present condition
here.

We are compelled to build and to purchase a lot in another part of the
town. Our plan to raise the means to build, was first to subscribe to the
utmost of our ability before we asked any one out of our church for a dol-
lar. Then we appealed to the citizens of Wilmington. Now we think this
course will commend itself to every man. After having done all this, we
find ourselves unable to complete the house without aid from our
brethren. We are determined not to have a debt hanging over us after the
house is finished. We have struggled hard here to build up a strong and
efficient church.

There is a noble band of brethren and sisters here who are willing to
make any sacrifice and perform any labor necessary to accomplish the
work. The ladies gave one thousand dollars, the proceeds of their work-
ing society. We have never asked for help before, and we think we shall
never ask again. Will you not then brethren, sisters and friends, help us
this once? Then we will help you when you need our help. Now, dear
brethren, will you prayerfully ask yourselves how much you will give us, *
and have it ready for me? I can only make this one journey. My object
will not be to obtain subscriptions, as it will take more time than we can
spare to make a second visit to collect. We are now ready to begin the
work, and shall need the money very soon. Hoping to see you soon.

I am sincerely your brother and fellow-laborer,

J.L. Prichard

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Appendix Three

Resolution honoring the memory of Rev. John Lamb Prichard

Whereas it pleased Almighty God since our last church meeting to re-
move by death from among us, our highly esteemed and beloved brother
and pastor, Elder John L. Prichard, we feel that as a church our affection
for him should lead us to give some expression of our sentiments on this
occasion.

Resolved First, that we declare his settlement among us as peculiarly
providential; and his qualifications both of raised intellect and heart, ren-
dered him eminently fitted for the work before him to which he addressed
himself with an untiring energy, laboring night and day for the welfare of
the church and the up building of the cause of Christ in this community;

Resolved Second, that during a pastorate of about seven years, he did
not fail to declare the whole counsel of God, and his labors were greatly
blessed in the promotion of harmony in the church and in the valuable
accessions to our body; and in his demise we feel that while the denom-
ination will sustain a heavy loss, to us it will be irreparable;

Resolved Third, that as a Christian gentleman, by his exemplary and
deep loved piety, and practice of manners, he has endeared himself not
only to the church which he served, but to the members of other de-
nominations and to the community generally;

Resolved Fourth, that the course pursued by him since the com-
mencement of our national troubles, was beyond all praise. He was ever
to be found among the most zealous in laboring for our brave soldiers; his
heart was ever ready to advise and his hand to execute liberal things in
their behalf, and many will remember with heartfelt gratitude, his labors
of love in the camps, in the hospitals, and the kindness received from him
in their sickness at his own house;

Resolved Fifth, that his memory will long be cherished, not only by
the members of this church, but by many others who were the recipients
of his attention and kindness amid the prevalence of the dreadful scourge
that visited our town during the past summer. Although frequently urged

214

Appendices

to leave, his universal reply was, "The poor need my assistance and I must
remain and do what I can." Thus he lived for the good of mankind and
when danger threatened he faltered not, but like a true soldier of the
cross, he stood firm and died at his post, died a martyr in the cause of
humanity;

Resolved Sixth, that in his removal we would humbly recognize the
hand of God, and in this sad hour of our bereavement we would humbly
and solemnly bow before God, acknowledging that while He does not will-
ingly afflict His servants, yet "He doeth all things well," and we will pray
for grace to enable us from the heart to say, "Not my will but thine, 0
God, be done.

Resolved Seventh, that we extend our cordial sympathy to his be-
reaved wife and family and would commend them to Him who has prom-
ised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless;

Resolved Eighth, that these resolutions be spread upon our church
book and a copy sent to the family of the deceased. Also, that copies be
sent to the Biblical Recorder and Religious Herald for publication.

Appendix Four

Letter of October 20, 1867

Dear Brother Young,

Simply to accept your resignation without giving expression to our
feelings of sorrow and deep regret that you are to go in and out amongst
us no longer would but misrepresent us, for our hearts yearn towards
you and our prayers do follow you for good. We feel that your ministry
here has been a blessing to the church and its influence felt in the com-
munity at large, and by these you are respected and beloved for your high-
toned character both privately and officially. We feel that we are as a
church to be deprived of a wise and able Christian Counselor, that in our
Sabbath School, Youth Missionary Society, and in all the various branches
of usefulness connected with this church, we have lost a most zealous
and ardent supporter, and that we cannot but deplore the necessity that
occasions your removal from us.

In conclusion, we earnestly pray that our God may abundantly bless

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

you and your companion in your new field of labor and keep you both
under his tender care and mercy, and when life's toils and cares shall end
on earth, may you and yours together with the members of this and every
other Church of Christ be gathered around the throne of God in Heaven
where partings shall be no more.

The Wilmington Journal reported on November 1, 1867:

According to announcement, Rev. William M. Young delivered his
farewell sermon in the City Hall, Sunday night last. The capacious hall
was crowded to its utmost extent. The assemblage was composed not only
of the members of his own church and congregation proper, but of the
many friends of Rev. Mr. Young who have been attached to him during his
stay in our midst,. ..in consideration for his gentlemanly qualifications,
and the encouragement which he has given to all literary and public en-
terprises which had for their object the benefit of the people.

During the delivery of this sermon and farewell address, many were af-
fected to tears. The church accepted the resignation of Rev. Mr. Young
reluctantly, and deeply regretted to part with his services. As a gentle-
man and a scholar, the whole community will lose in his departure one
whom they greatly esteem, and who is of much practical benefit to them.
We, ourselves, greatly regret his departure, and ere he takes his leave,
trust to have the melancholy satisfaction of bidding him a personal
farewell.

Appendix Five

Song of celebration written by Rev. James Taylor

With grateful hearts we meet this day,
For we have rolled the load away
Which on us, long has pressed.
Our earnest prayers have now been heard,
For we believed the Heavenly Word,
And God our efforts blest.

Yes, He has smiled upon our aim
And to our succor surely came,

216

Appendices

True to his promise given;
Oh, may we trust Him more and more,
Until our earthly lives are o'er,
And we are safe in heaven.

Come and adore our glorious Lord,
And let us speak His praise abroad,
For all His wondrous love;
We'll sound aloud His saving grace,
And urge the lost to seek God's face,
And live with Him above.

God give us love and burning zeal,
To us His glorious truth reveal,
And we shall faithful prove.
May many now without, soon come
That they may seek the heavenly home,
And taste redeeming love.

Then let us tell to all around
That mercy free doth now abound,
That Christ will give them rest.
Yes, brethren, let us earnest be.
For soon we'll reach Eternity,
And be forever blest.

Appendix Six

Resolution in appreciation for the ministry of Rev. James Taylor

In the loss of Brother Taylor, our church will part with an able, pious
and faithful minister, whose daily walk and conversation in our midst has
impressed its do for good, not only on his immediate flock, but upon city
and state. In hours of sickness and death he has been an ever-faithful and
tender friend and brother, and has presented to us the assuring consola-
tions of the word of life with love and gentleness. He has officiated at the
marriages of many of us; he has led many of us down to the watery grave,
and there buried us by baptism into the likeness of the death and resur-

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

rection of our Lord; he has committed to the earth the bodies of many
whose memory is to us a sweet savor; he has led many of us to the Foun-
tain of Life, of which if a man drink he shall never thirst. In many other
ways our pastor has ably and faithfully ministered to us in spiritual
things, and therefore our hearts are knit to his in the love of Christ.

When we consider the result of our pastor's labors, we feel that the
Lord hath bountifully blessed his work in our midst. No feuds exist to
mar the beauty of holiness. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity. The financial condition of the church
has never been better. Under Brother Taylor's administration the entire
debt, amounting to over eleven thousand dollars, which for years has
been a grievous burden, has been paid off. The current expenses of the
church are regularly discharged, and there are no stumbling blocks to
retard its progress. God be praised!

We notice with great pleasure in our pastor's letter of resignation that
he expects to visit Europe, and congratulate our brother on the prospect
before him. We do sincerely invoke God's blessing upon himself and his
family, and an abundant harvest of souls for him in his future work.

Appendix Seven

Resolution in appreciation for Benjamin Mitchell

God has taken from among us our loved and honored brother B.F.
Mitchell, who was our senior deacon and one of the oldest members of
our church, who had for many years gone in and out among us, an ex-
ample to all who would lead a Christian life.

His life was marked by a loyalty to the interests of his church, and
strict adherence to the principles that mark the upright man, and a de-
votion to his family. The poor blessed his name both for his own giving
and his consistent remembrance of their needs. The members of his
church loved him and felt his presence among them as a benediction.

His household mourns his loss as a tender father and honored patri-
arch. We the members of his church so desire to express our belief that

218

Appendices

we have enjoyed a blessing in having his life and labors cast among us,
and the desire to return thanks to our Heavenly Father, that he has given
us this example of a high Christian life. We would point his relatives to
that source of comfort that faileth not, believing that if they submissively
accept this loss, the unction of the Holy Spirit will fill their hearts.

When the pure and upright man departs this life in his ripened years
a gracious influence extends from his life, over the community where he
lived; it is with him whose loss we now deplore. While we mourn we are
conscious that our own lives are made better by the remembrance of his.

We resolve that the clerk tender this expression of our feelings to
Brother Mitchell's family as a token of our sympathy with theirs, and as
evidence that we believe God's Spirit dwells with our brother.

Appendix Eight

Excerpt from the memoirs of Dr. J.H. Foster

We had a fine Sunday School auditorium with a large gallery about
the top and class rooms around the back and sides of the lower floor.
We needed more class rooms. With an excavation of two or three feet
under the Sunday School auditorium we would have space for twelve
class rooms and a large Primary room. The times were hard. We did not
want to borrow money, so we decided to do the work ourselves. Every
afternoon at six p.m., a number of the men met and worked until ten
p.m., digging and wheel barrowing the dirt out. We had carpenters,
and brick masons, and plumbers, electricians, and business men — all
giving their time. Deacon John Hanby said, "There is a lumber man
that owes me a considerable sum. If he would be willing to pay that
debt in lumber, I will be glad to donate the lumber to the church." That
is what happened.

When the lumber arrived, I went down and paid the freight bill. The
clerk got interested in what we were doing. I told him that our members
were doing all the work, and all the lumber and hardware had been do-
nated. He went to see some official and when he came back he said, 'The
railroad wishes to pay the freight bill for the lumber. Neil McEachern's

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

drays hauled the lumber to the church. Finally all the work on the class
rooms was finished except the painting.

On Sunday morning I announced the completion of the work with
this exception. After the service, Dan Penton came to me and said, "Get
all the paint you need and charge it to me and also get whatever paint
brushes you will have to buy." A few days later I visited Charlie Mitchell
who was arranging to go to Baltimore for an operation. He asked me how
we were getting along with our work at the church. I told him we had fin-
ished the twelve class rooms and now only lacked a Primary room. He
said, "How much will it cost to build it?" I said, "The excavation is already
done. It will cost about five hundred dollars." He said, "When I return
from the hospital I want to talk to you some more about that Primary
room." A few days later I went with his friends and loved ones to the sta-
tion and from there to the cemetery to bury his body next to the grave of
his father. About a week later I received a call and was told, "Your church
has been left a legacy." "How much?" I asked, "And who has remembered
us?" "There was a codicil in Charlie Mitchell's will, leaving five hundred
dollars to the church for the building of a Primary room." He had evi-
dently felt that he would not come back alive, so he made sure the church
would get that amount by adding it to his will.

Appendix Nine

Excerpt from the memoirs of Dr. J.H. Foster

The baptistery of the church gave us some trouble. Mr. LeMoyne, a
skilled carpenter and something of a genius, had, some years before, so
arranged the covering to the baptistery that when it came time to move
the pulpit, the pastor took his seat, touched a button, and slowly and
noiselessly the preacher, chair, and pulpit were all pulled back into the
hall between the two dressing rooms; and the baptistery was made ready
for use. Sometimes this didn't work satisfactorily. One Sunday night it got
caught just half-way back. The pastor said, "Now the Devil is in the pool."
Two or three of the deacons and brother LeMoyne came forward to help
remove the Devil or overpower him, but they could not budge the plat-
form; and the baptism had to be postponed.

It had become a very awkward affair before I came to Wilmington. At

220

Appendices

a deacons' meeting we discussed changing the arrangement. Brother
John Hanby said, "My brother and I want the privilege of putting in a new
baptistery as a memorial to our father and mother." This was done, and
we discarded the black robes we formerly had used, wearing white ones
instead. We thus sought to place emphasis on the idea of the resurrection.

Appendix Ten

Resolution honoring Dr. Joshua Hill Foster

Since it has pleased our Heavenly father to call to other spheres of
usefulness our beloved and esteemed Pastor, Dr. J.H. Foster, who will on
June 1, 1915, go from among us to take up his duties as President of
Bessie Tift College — a college for Baptist young women — at Forsyth,
Georgia, and

Whereas, during the five and one-half years of his pastorate among us
he has greatly endeared himself to the membership of this church, hav-
ing by precept and example, through the grace of God, greatly increased
its number and stimulated its faith in the Divine plan of the church as the
instrument for the salvation of souls, through Christ and by the favor of
God, and

Whereas, he taught a theology as pure as the water from some moun-
tain-top, he was never one to shamble away from the tests of the labora-
tory but measured up to those scholarly heights which fitted him to meet
and supply to his theology the known truths of science; always seeking to
impress upon his auditors the goodness of God in the orderly unfolding
of His plan, and

Whereas by reason of extensive travel, thoughtful observation and
much study he has acquired a broad culture, confirmed in faith in Jesus
Christ, which should peculiarly fit him for the task he is called to under-
take, namely that of training the young womanhood of our southland in
the essential things which go to produce the true refinements of human
life; in which he will have the invaluable assistance of his most excellent
wife, and

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Whereas, as an organizer his resourceful mind materially aided in
adding to this church those adjuncts of a Christian temple which are felt
by their influence in many needy places near and far; bearing in mind, as
he always did, the missionary spirit of his church, and the Savior's in-
junction: "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the
children of light." (John 2:36).

Now, therefore, be it Resolved,

First — That the membership of this church do part with our friend
and Pastor, Dr. J.H. Foster, and his good wife and family, with many re-
grets.

Second — That they go from among us with the prayers of this con-
gregation for the blessings of God to attend their further efforts in the
Kingdom of Christ.

Third — That in the loss sustained by this church, we feel that the
Bessie Tift College will gain the services of a most able, cultured and
scholarly exponent, who come from a family of instructors well known
among the faculties of our colleges in the South, and who will be largely
strengthened in his labors by a most consecrated and capable helpmeet.

Therefore, we do release him and bid him Godspeed in the good fight,
which he has elected to continue in a new field.

Appendix Eleven

Resolution of Commitment dated November 4, 1931

WHEREAS, the entire world is passing through a critical period such
as never before experienced with such suffering and anxiety in mind and
soul; and,

WHEREAS, we know both from the teachings of our Bible and from
personal experience that the greatest need of every soul is salvation from
sin and new birth into the Kingdom of God; and,

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Appendices

WHEREAS, the present world crisis has been brought on because of
the sin of the people and can be relieved only by a turning to God in re-
pentance, thus making the Gospel the supreme need of the hour for all
the world; and,

WHEREAS, the condition and need of the world give to the churches
their greatest opportunity for the fulfillment of their divine mission of
spreading the Gospel to all the world; and,

THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Finance and Promotion Commit-
tees of the First Baptist Church in joint session, Monday night, October
26, 1931;

First, that instead of letting down in our work for the Kingdom in-
terests during the coming year — which is the natural human tendency in
times of depression — we increase and intensify our efforts, and thus man-
ifest the real spirit of our Master who "came not to be served, but to
serve";

Secondly, that we urge EVERY MEMBER of our church not to de-
crease his, or her, contributions to the church, but, if at all possible to in-
crease them, so that the Lord may be glorified in this needy day by His
work going forward even at a sacrifice;

Thirdly, that we recommend the tithe as a minimum for every mem-
ber of the church, and that the whole tithe at least to be paid through
the church as God's "storehouse";

Fourthly, that the total of our budget for 1932 be $25,000, the same
as for this year, and be divided the same as this year, with such adjust-
ments as are necessary, $15,000 for current expenses, and $10,000 for
missions and benevolences;

Fifthly, that these resolutions be read and recommended to the church
for its action.

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Appendix Twelve

Resolutions in memory of Dr. J. Marcus Kester passed by the
Wilmington Baptist Minister's Conference, April 13, 1936

When God called home Dr. John Marcus Kester, He took from the Bap-
tist ministry one of the finest equipped men, intellectually and spiritually.

Few men have accomplished more and, at the time of his going away,
he was at the height of his power as a force for righteousness in his
church and community.

As a man there was about him the charm of simplicity, genuineness
and reality. He maintained a quiet dignity and poise which commanded
the respect and consideration of all with whom he had dealings. He was
humble almost to the point of self-depreciation, but his convictions of
right and duty imbued him with conscious power.

As a pastor, he was a sympathetic friend, a wise counselor; tender and
loving. His visits and his prayers were a benediction to the sick and af-
flicted.

As a preacher, his ability and culture were unquestioned. He was a
Biblical scholar with profound convictions and, while he was sincerely
loyal to the Baptist faith, he entered into no controversy and, without
compromise, won the love and esteem of members of all denominations
and races.

He lived his religion, and his most effectual piece of his sermon was
he himself. He never resorted to the spectacular nor the sensational,
never sought the limelight; but, in all denominational work, his brethren,
recognizing his ability, placed him in positions of honor calling for wis-
dom and self-sacrifice.

His presence and wise counsel will be sorely missed in our pastor's
conference, in our Associational and Convention assemblies, and in the
denominational boards.

In our deep bereavement, we offer the following resolutions:

224

Appendices

Recognizing the wisdom and goodness of God, we bow in submission
to His will, knowing that He cannot err.

To the bereaved wife, children, to the brothers and sisters, we extend
our sincerest sympathy, and pray that the God whom he served so faith-
fully may bless and keep those whom he loved.

Appendix Thirteen

Letter from Dr. Sankey Blanton to Mrs. J. Marcus Kester

My Dear Mrs. Kester:

We are leaving for North Carolina early in the morning. Lillian will
probably bring Truett home on Saturday. I had expected to come but find
that it will not be possible for me to do so, unless I run down for a day
next week. We have greatly enjoyed having your boy with us and we hope
he will reach you in good health. I think the summer has been good for
him.

In planning to take up my work there on the fifteenth of September,
we are beginning to think about the details of moving. Since the call from
the church included the parsonage, I presume that I would have the au-
thority to say for you to continue in it, say for a year so that you would
have ample time to reach a decision as to your permanent plans. If it were
your preference to rent another house instead, I would be glad to pay the
rent for the year. I want you to feel free to do whatever you think best. We
are planning to rent a home if you desire to remain in the parsonage.

I need not remind you that I am anxious to help you find the right so-
lution to your problem.

Yours sincerely,

Sankey Lee Blanton

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First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Appendix Fourteen

Statement of thanksgiving for the life of Daniel Penton

We, the members of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, North
Carolina, by this means humbly pay loving tribute to Mr. Daniel H. Pen-
ton, our staunch and loyal brother whom God has called to His eternal
home; his death occurring at his home, number 220 North Third Street,
in Wilmington, North Carolina, Sunday, March 12, 1939.

His was a life so nobly lived that it was a blessing, not only to those of
us who were privileged to be associated with him in Church member-
ship, but also those of the community, the state, and beyond.

Mr. Penton was a man of strong conviction without ostentation, and
of sound judgment and discretion. He had a sympathetic understanding
that enriched his personality and made for him many warm and appre-
ciative friends. He was honest, unselfish, and straight-forward in dealing
with his fellowmen. His advice and views on matters pertaining to the
church have been priceless value to us.

We shall miss his friendly presence, his wise counsel, and his untiring
efforts to promote the Kingdom of God. May his example ever inspire us
to be better Stewards of the manifold graces of our Lord.

Appendix Fifteen

Statement of thanksgiving for the life of Dr. W.T. Smith

Dr. Smith, in his quiet, unassuming manner, consecrated his life to
Christian service through his church, community, and his profession.
For one-half century he was a member of the First Baptist Church and
faithfully, spiritually, intellectually, and interestingly taught a Sunday
School class of men he organized forty-five years ago which honors his
name today, casts its light as a lamp from a hilltop to all those who were
and are privileged to observe. His influence through those he served
stands out as a guiding star for Christian living. His memorial is neither
found in himself nor the class but in the lives and hearts of those he

226

Appendices

touched. His life could be characterized by continued faithful and hum-
ble service in his church, home, and community for his unselfishness,
loyalty, and devotion. While his life was an inspiration to those who knew
him to live nobly, and his presence among us will be no more, we, the dea-
cons, members, and friends of the First Baptist Church, deeply mourn
his passing, do resolve:

That we express our deepest sympathy to the family and the bereaved ones.

That we assure all the members of the family of our prayers and con-
tinued thoughts of them.

That a copy be sent to the Smith Memorial Bible class wishing the
men omnipotent power individually that will cause them to bring men
into the Kingdom's work.

Appendix Sixteen

Kingdom News article from Rev. Randolph Gregory
following the business conference of October 8, 1969

Now is the time for us all to roll up our sleeves and get to work. The
heads of the various church organizations have been called together and
challenged to prepare a five year program of church renewal and advance.
More of our people have been talking about the church in recent weeks
than has taken place in a number of years. Now let us match our talking
with some good solid work. I must commend everyone who was present
at the business meeting on October 8. J.G. Middleton presided in a mas-
terful style. I was proud of the marvelous Christian spirit and love be-
tween the brethren which was evident throughout all of the discussions.
It was a great demonstration of the power of the love of Christ. Naturally
everyone wasn't satisfied with the way the votes turned out, but everyone
can be justly proud that he is a member of a congregation which can dis-
cuss a touchy subject and at the same time display love for the brethren.
We must strive to make the immediate years ahead some of the finest
years in the long and glorious history of the First Baptist Church. God has
a work for us to do. Let us do it with a fresh awareness of the importance
of the whole Christian mission.

227

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Appendix Seventeen

Report of the Church Goals and Objectives Committee
presented on April 4, 1973

The mission of the First Baptist Church is to serve the congregation
and the community in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is to be ac-
complished by the utmost utilization of all church properties and pro-
grams. Where, how, and when can this mission best be fulfilled? We will
attempt to answer this question by submitting for your consideration this
proposed plan of action in two stages to accomplish the mission:

To utilize in the immediate future the Independence Boulevard prop-
erty by constructing a building for the purpose of housing and promot-
ing an evangelistic and activities program. This building should include
the following facilities: one large all-purpose area for assemblies, dining,
basketball, roller skating, etc. Adjacent rooms for smaller activities should
include kindergarten, kitchen, library, arts and craft, music, etc.

Through the usage of this building, it is recommended that all exist-
ing church related programs be enriched and updated and that intro-
duction of new and more meaningful programs be introduced for persons
of all ages in the congregation.

Through the usage of this building, we recommend that we revitalize
the evangelistic ministry of the First Baptist Church in order that we may
touch and reach more individuals in this community.

The second stage, to follow as soon as possible, should include the
construction of an educational building and sanctuary on the Independ-
ence Boulevard property.

The committee also strongly recommends that the present sanctuary
be retained as a historical memorial to the dedicated membership who
built this original edifice and to the continuing membership who have
preserved it for posterity.

If the report of this committee is approved by the church member-
ship, it is recommended that a committee be created to implement these
recommendations immediately.

228

Appendices

Appendix Eighteen

Letter of resignation/retirement from Rev. Randolph Gregory

There is a time for everything... for this purpose I have come to this
hour. Time marches on and each man must march with it. Come July 13,
1975, time will mark my sixty-fifth birthday; therefore, I hereby tender
my resignation to be effective August 31, 1975. You are a great people to
work with. My family has been raised in this church. Our girls were bap-
tized and married here. No one else will ever take the special place you
hold in my heart and in the heart of my good wife, faithful companion,
and co-worker. We shall ever remember you with love and abiding Chris-
tian affection. The happiest years of our lives have been spent working
with you to advance the cause of Jesus Christ. 'Twill be twenty-four years
and four months. What a blessing! This letter of resignation is closed with
the confidence that as time and circumstances separate us here, Christ
will join us together again in the land beyond the western sky.

Appendix Nineteen

Statement of appreciation for the life of Gilliam Horton

Gilliam was a hard-working deacon. It was never his weakness to quit
before a job was completed, and he always, along the way, lent encour-
agement to others.

He was a cooperative deacon. In this day and age when petty opinion
too frequently assumes dominance, how reassuring it is to feel an un-
derlying spirit of tolerance and a willingness to work as a team, not as an
individual!

He was a friendly deacon — friendly to all — old, young, rich, poor,
happy, sad — always ready to listen and to give a cheering smile.

He was a dedicated deacon. As a deacon he participated in the larger
program of the church; he was active in Sunday School class activities,
choir and music department activities, and committee work as he was
called on to serve.

229

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

He was a laughing deacon. In his quiet, unassuming manner Gilliam's
good humor permeated his life. The twinkle in his eye, the broadening
smile, and sometimes the infectious chuckle many time made days
brighter for the rest of us.

As current members of the diaconate, we are truly grateful for what
Gilliam's influence has meant in the life of our church.

Appendix Twenty

Mission, Vision and Core Values of First Baptist Church, 2001

Standing on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and be-
lieving that the best is yet to be for our congregation, we the members of
First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina, commit to living out
the following:

Our Mission: To honor God by becoming and helping others to be-
come fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Our Vision: To become a community of believers that is open and wel-
coming to anyone, no matter where they are on their faith journey, and
is intentionally joining with Christ in his redemptive work and purposes
in the world.

Our Core Values: We are intentional in our efforts to be ...

BIBLICAL - We believe the Bible is true and that its teaching is the cat-
alyst for life-change in an individual's life and in the church. (2 Timothy
3:16-17; James 1:22-25; Hebrews 4:12; Acts 20:32)

EVANGELISTIC - We believe unchurched people matter to God, and
therefore ought to matter to the church. (Luke 5:30-32; Luke 15;
Matthew 18:14)

RELEVANT - We believe the church should be culturally relevant
while remaining doctrinally sound. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

TRANSFORMATIONAL - We believe followers of Jesus should live au-

230

Appendices

thentic Christian lives and strive for continuous spiritual growth. (Eph-
esians 4:25-26 & 32; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 12:1)

PURPOSEFUL - We believe the church is a unified community of ser-
vants, each one exercising their unique spiritual gifts, and structured ac-
cording to the nature and mission of the church. (Romans 12; Ephesians
4; 1 Corinthians 12 & 14; I Peter 4:10, 1 Peter 5; Acts 6:2-5)

LOVING - We believe loving relationships should permeate every as-
pect of church life. (1 Corinthians 13)

RELATIONAL - We believe life-change happens best through rela-
tionships. (Acts 2:44-47)

EXCELLENT - We believe excellence honors God and inspires people.
(Philippians 3:12-16; Colossians 3:17; Proverbs 27:17)

SPIRITUAL - We believe the pursuit of full devotion to Christ and His
cause is expected of every believer. (Philippians 2:1-11)

FREE -We believe in religious liberty for all people, the separation of
church and state, and the autonomy of the local church. (Galatians 5:1;
Matthew 22:21)

Appendix Twenty-One

Pastors of First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

John Larkins and Rev. Peter Smyth 1808
Rev. Simon Sellers, Rev. Rueben Everitt

and Rev. Peter Smyth 1809-1824

Rev. Jonathan Bryan 1824-1825

Rev. Jacob C. Grigg 1833

Rev. WJ. Findley (Interim) 1834

Rev. A. W. Chambliss 1835-1836

Rev. Alphonse Paul Repiton 1839

Rev. Amos Johnston Battle 1842

231

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Rev. Alphonse Paul Repiton 1843

Dr. James McDaniel 1844-1852

Rev. W.H. Jordan 1852-1855

Rev. John Lamb Prichard 1856-1862

Rev. Alphonse Paul Repiton 1862-1864

Rev. William H. Young 1864-1867

Rev. J.C. Hiden 1868-1875

Rev. James B. Taylor 1875-1883

Dr. Thomas Henderson Pritchard 1883-1893

Dr. William Benjamin Oliver 1893-1898

Dr. Calvin S. Blackwell 1898-1903

Dr. Fred Hale 1904-1909

Dr. Joshua Hill Foster, Jr. 1909-1915

Rev. Marshall Craig (Interim) 1915-1916

Dr. John Jeter Hurt 1916-1923

Rev. D.H. Wilcox (Interim) 1923-1924

Rev. J. Marcus Kester 1924-1936

Dr. Sankey Lee Blanton 1936-1946

Rev. Charles A. Maddry 1946-1950

Dr. O.L. Powers (Interim) 1950-1951

Rev. Randolph Gregory 1951-1975

Rev. Allen Laymon 1975-1985

Rev. Randolph Gregory (Interim) 1985-1986

Dr. Michael Glenn Queen 1986-present

232

Sources

Books

Bradlee, Frances B.C. Blockade Running During the Civil War.
Philadelphia: Porcupine Press, 1974.

Cathcart, William. The Baptist Encyclopedia. Philadelphia: L.H.
Everts, 1881.

Cecelski, David S. and Timothy B. Tyson. Democracy Betrayed: The
Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy. Chapel Hill, NC: The Uni-
versity of North Carolina Press, 1998.

Cooledge, Jr., Harold N. Samuel Sloan, Architect of Philadelphia,
1815-1884, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.

Darter, Oscar H. The History of Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Fred-
ericksburg, Virginia, Richmond, VA: Garrett and Massie Inc., 1960.

Dobson, Helen. Our Living Strength. Wilmington, NC: Wilmington
Printing Company, 1983.

Edwards, Morgan. Materials Towards A History of the Baptists, Vol-
ume 2. Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1984.

Evans, Richard J. In Defense of History. WW. Norton & Company, New
York & London, 1999.

Foster, Joshua Hill. Sixty- four Years a Minister. Wilmington, NC: The
First Baptist Church, 1948.

Hendricks, G.A. Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Volume 2.
Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1958.

233

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Hufham, J.D. Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard. Raleigh, NC: Hufham
& Hughes Publishers, 1867.

Huggins, M.A. A History of North Carolina Baptists 1727-1932. Board
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 1967.

Johnson, Guin Griffis. Ante-Bellum North Carolina. Chapel Hill, NC:
University of North Carolina Press, 1937.

. Characteristics of Ante-Bellum North Carolina. Chapel

Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1939.

Kester, J. Marcus. Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church, Wilm-
ington, North Carolina, 1808-1933. Wilmington, NC: First Baptist
Church, 1933.

Kierner, Cynthia A. Beyond the Household: Women's Place in the
Early South, 1700-1835. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998.

Lasher, George. The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in
the United States of America. Oxford: Ministerial Directory Company,
1899.

Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865.
United States War Department, Vol. 1, pt. 1: prepared in accordance with
the acts of Congress, under the direction of the Surgeon General, Joseph
K. Barnes, United States Army, 1870.

North Carolina Baptist State Convention Annual, 1880.

North Carolina Baptist Almanac. Raleigh, NC: Edwards and
Broughton Publishing, 1885.

Reaves, William H. Strength Through Struggle: The Chronological
and Historical Record of the African-American Community in Wilming-
ton, North Carolina 1865-1950. Wilmington, NC: New Hanover County
Public Library, 1998.

Saunders, William L. ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina,

234

Sources

Vol. 6. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1887; reprint
1993.

Semple, Robert. Semple's History of the Rise and Progress of the Bap-
tists in Virginia. Richmond, VA: Pitt and Dickinson Publishing, 1894.

Shaw, Bynum. Divided We Stand. Durham, NC: Moore Publishing Co.,
1974.

Taylor, James B. Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers. Baltimore, MD:
Richmond, Yale and Wyatt, 1838.

Taylor, George Braxton. Virginia Baptist Ministers. Lynchburg, Vir-
ginia: J.P Bell Company, Inc.,1912.

West, Ruby. From Glory to Glory: A History of Temple Baptist Church,
Durham, North Carolina. Durham, NC: Temple Baptist Church, 1988.

Wind, James. Places of Worship: Exploring Their History. Nashville,
TN: American Association for State and Local History, 1990.

Wease, Hugh. A Journey of Faith. Brentwood, TN: Baptist History and
Heritage Society, 2002.

Wrenn, Tony P. Wilmington, N.C.: An Architectural and Historical
Portrait. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press, 1984.

Newspapers

Baptist Standard, 23 September 1970.

Biblical Recorder, 2 December 1835; 30 June 1838; 13 May 1843; 5
January 1870; 8 January 1848; 13 October 1851; 17 October 1883; 8 April
1858; 26 May 1859; 9 December 1858; 3 January 2004.

Charleston Mercury ; 9 October 1862.

Daily North Carolinian, 14 January 1865.

235

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Fayetteville Observer, 10 November 1898; 11 November 1898.

Kingdom News, 7 September 1947; 19 October 1969; 19 November
1972; 9 October 1977; 4 June 1978; 20 October 1985; 10 August 1986; 16
July 1989; 3 May 1992; 1 November 1992; 22 May 1994; 28 April 1996.

New York Herald, 11 November 1898.

Raleigh News and Observer, 13 November 1898; 15 November 1898.

Wilmington Advertiser, 1 June 1838.

Wilmington Journal, 1 November 1867; 29 September 1859.

Wilmington Messenger , 24 January 1889; 16 March 1889; 8 December
1889.

Wilmington Morning Star, 24 January 1948; 9 September 1996.

Wilmington Star, 29 June 1894; 17 May 1870; 10 May 1881; 8 October
1923; 1 September 1924.

Wilmington Weekly Star, 17 July 1885.

Minutes

Minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association, Annual Meeting, 1806-1827.
Minutes of the Eastern Baptist Association, Annual Meeting, 1845-1909.
Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, 1833-2004.
Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, Annual Meeting, 1828-1845.
Minutes of the Wilmington Baptist Association, Annual Meeting, 1910-2003.

236

Sources

Members of First Baptist Church
Interviewed by Writer

Sam Bissette, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Sally Brogden, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Ann Brown, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Frances Chappell, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Ruth Clayton, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Ed Efird, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Charles English, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Carlton Fisher, Wilmington, N.C., 15 March, 2004.
Peggy George, Wilmington, N.C., 2 March, 2004.
Dick Gough, Wilmington, N.C., 2 March, 2004.
Hilda Gregory, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Barbara Guy, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Dr. Tom Head, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Josephine Horton, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Lois Johnson, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Betty Murrell, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Dr. Michael Queen, Wilmington, N.C., 12 March, 2004.
Dr. Bertram Williams, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.
Carl Warwick, Wilmington, N.C., 10 March, 2004.

237

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

Additional Sources

Constitution and By-laws of First Baptist Church, 4 February, 2001.

Hurt, John Jeter, Anniversary Exercises of the First Baptist Church.
Wilmington, NC: First Baptist Church, 1 July,1922.

Hyde, T.E., Map of Wilmington, 1826.

Original Estimate of the cost of building The First Baptist Church of
Wilmington, North Carolina, Archives of the First Baptist Church, Wilm-
ington.

Property Records of New Hanover County, North Carolina, 1825; 1851.

Shurden, Walter B. Turning Points in Baptist History. Brentwood, TN:
Pamphlet jointly published by the Baptist History and Heritage Society
and the William H. Whitsitt Baptist Heritage Society, 2001.

238

Endnotes

1 James Wind, Places of Worship: Exploring Their History, American Association
for State and Local History, Nashville, TN, 1990, 78

2 James Wind, Places of Worship, 17

3 Richard J Evans., In Defense of History (WW Norton & Company, New York &
London), 1999, 197.

4 Ibid., 193.

5 Walter Shurden, "Turning Points in Baptist History," (Brentwood, TN.: Jointly
published by the Baptist History and Heritage Society and the William H. Whitsitt
Baptist Heritage Society, 2001), 1.

6 Ibid., 2.

7 Ibid.

8 Ibid.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid., 3.

11 Oscar H. Darter, The History of Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Fredericksburg,
Virginia (Richmond, VA.: Garrett and Massie, Inc., 1960), xv.

12 Ibid., xiv.

13 Ibid., xv.

14 Ibid., xvi.

15 Hugh Wease, A Journey of Faith (Brentwood, TN: Baptist History and Heritage
Society, 2002), 12.

16 Ibid., 12.

17 William L. Saunders, ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina, 11 vols.
(Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1887; reprint 1993), Vol. VI, 59.

18 Ibid., 730.

19 Bynum Shaw, Divided We Stand (Durham, NC: Moore Publishing Co., 1974),
89.

20 Ibid., 72.

21 William L. Saunders, ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina, 7: 164.

22 Morgan Edwards, Materials Towards A History of the Baptists, Volume 2,
(Danielsville, Georgia: Heritage Papers, 1984)

23 Minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association, 1806.

24 Hugh Wease, A Journey of Faith, 8.

25 Ibid., 8.

26 Ibid., 8.

27 Bynum Shaw, Divided We Stand, 113.

28 Hugh Wease, A Journey of Faith, 14.

239

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

29 William L. Saunders, ed., The Colonial Records of North Carolina, 5: 1163.

30 Minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association, 1808.

31 Ibid.

32 Wilmington Morning Star, January 24, 1948.

33 Minutes of the Cape Fear Baptist Association, 1808

34 Ibid., 1811.

35 T.E. Hyde, Map of Wilmington, 1826.

36 Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, N.C.: An Architectural and Historical Portrait
(Charlottesville, VA.: University of Virginia Press, 1984), 211.

37 Property Records of New Hanover County, North Carolina, 1825, 50.

38 Ibid., 1834, 202.

39 Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, April, 1842.

40 Property Records of New Hanover County, North Carolina, 1851, 160.

41 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1829.

42 Ibid., 1832.

43 Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, April 13, 1833.

44 MA Huggins, A History of North Carolina Baptists 1727-1932, (Raleigh: The
General Board Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 1967), 235.

45 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1833.

46 Robert Semple, Semple's History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Vir-
ginia (Richmond, VA: Pitt and Dickinson Publishing, 1894), 460.

47 James B. Taylor, Lives of Virginia Baptist Ministers (Baltimore, MD: Richmond,
Yale and Wyatt, 1838), 393.

48 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1834.

49 J. Marcus Kester, Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church, Wilmington,
North Carolina, 1808-1933 (Wilmington, NC: First Baptist Church, 1933), 17.

50 Biblical Recorder, December 2, 1835.

51 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1836.

52 Wilmington Messenger, January 24, 1889.

53 Wilmington Advertiser \ June 1, 1838.

54 Biblical Recorder, June 30, 1838.
^Biblical Recorder, May 13, 1843.

56 Wilmington Messenger, March 16, 1889.

57 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1839.

58 Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, April 5, 1839.

59 Minutes of the Goshen Baptist Association, 1840.

60 Ibid., 1843.

61 Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC, June 11, 1838.

62 Ibid., August 8, 1842

63 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 2, 1845.

64 Ibid., May 26, 1845.

65 Ibid., June 3, 1851.

66 Ibid., May 17, 1863.

67 Ibid., May 26, 1867.

240

Endnotes

68 North Carolina Baptist State Convention Annual, 1880, 56.

69 North Carolina Baptist Almanac, (Raleigh, NC: Edwards and Broughton Pub-
lishing, 1885), 21.

70 Biblical Recorder, January 5, 1870.

71 Minutes of the First Baptist Church of Wilmington, January 27, 1845.
12 Biblical Recorder, January 8, 1848.

73 Ibid.

74 Ibid., May 26, 1845.

75 Cynthia A. Kierner, Beyond the Household: Women's Place in the Early South,
1700-1835 (Ithica, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998), 181.

76 Ibid., 197.

77 Ibid., 184.

78 M.A. Huggins, A History of North Carolina Baptists (Raleigh, NC: The General
Board of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 1967), 253.

79 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, September 24, 1855.

80 Ibid., August 4, 1847.

81 Ibid., February 24, 1839.

82 Ibid., February, 1850.

83 Wilmington Weekly Star, July 17, 1885.

84 Ibid., July 17, 1885.

85 Wilmington Star, June 29, 1894.

86 Biblical Recorder, October 13, 1851.

87 Ibid.

88 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, November 8, 1851.

89 North Carolina Baptist Almanac (Raleigh, NC: Edwards and Broughton Pub-
lishing, 1885), 25.

90 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard (Raleigh, NC: Hufham &
Hughes Publishers, 1867), 49.

91 Ibid., 50.

92 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 27, 1852.

93 William Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1881),
624.

94 Ibid., 625

95 Biblical Recorder, October 17, 1883.

96 North Carolina Baptist Almanac, (Raleigh, NC: Edwards and Broughton Pub-
lishing, 1884), 19

97 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, July 1855.

98 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, December 31, 1855.

99 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 27.

100 Ibid., 28.

101 Ibid., 67.

102 Ibid.

103 Ibid., 52.

104 Ibid., 74.

241

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

05 Ibid., 99.

06 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, September 22, 1856.

07 Ibid., December 29, 1856.

08 Ibid., January 21, 1857.

09 Ibid., February 16, 1857.

10 Ibid., April 20, 1857.

11 Ibid., July 20, 1857.

12 Ibid., January 18, 1858.

13 Ibid., January 19, 1858.

14 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 105.

15 Biblical Recorder, April 8, 1858.

16 Ibid.

17 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 19, 1858.

18 Ibid., November 29, 1858.

19 Ibid., April 18, 1859.

20 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 113.

21 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 24, 1859.

22 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength (Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Printing
Company, 1983), 13.

23 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 4, 1859.

24 Harold N. Cooledge, Jr., Samuel Sloan, Architect of Philadelphia, 1815-1884
(Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986)

Robert Martin Fales, Wilmington Yesteryear, (Wilmington, NC: Lower Cape
Fear Historical Society, 1984), 115.

26 Original Estimate of the cost of building The First Baptist Church of Wilming-
ton, North Carolina, Archives of the First Baptist Church, Wilmington.

27 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 113.

28 Ibid., 114.

29 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 117.

30 Ibid.

31 Ibid.

32 Ibid., 118.

33 Ibid., 120.

34 Ibid., 121.

35 Ibid., 122.

36 Ibid.

37 Ibid.

38 Ibid.

39 Ibid., 124.

40 Ibid.

41 Guin Griffis Johnson, Ante-Bellum North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC: Univer-
sity of North Carolina Press, 1937), 114.

142 Guin Griffis Johnson, Characteristics of Ante-Bellum North Carolina (Chapel
Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1939), 122.

242

Endnotes

43 Daily North Carolinian, January 14, 1865.

44 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 121.

45 Frances B.C. Bradlee, Blockade Running During the Civil War (Philadelphia:
Porcupine Press, 1974), 80.

46 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 121.

47 Wilmington Journal, September 29, 1862.

48 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 17.

49 Charleston Mercury, October 9, 1862.

50 J.D. Hufham, The Memoirs of John Lamb Prichard, 145.

51 Ibid.

52 Ibid., 146.

53 Ibid., 155.

54 Ibid., 157.

55 Ibid., 157.

56 Ibid., 167.

57 Ibid., 178.

58 Ibid., 180

59 M.A. Huggins, A History of North Carolina Baptists: 1727-1932, (Raleigh: The
General Board Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 1967), 269.

60 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 8, 1864.

61 William Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (Philadelphia: L.H. Everts, 1881),
1287.

62 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, July 31, 1864.

63 Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, (United
State War Department, Vol. 1, pt. 1: prepared in accordance with the acts of Con-
gress, under the direction of the Surgeon General, Joseph K. Barnes, United States
Army, 1870), 332.

164 Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical
Portrait, 49.

65 Minutes of the First Baptist church, January 7, 1867.

66 Biblical Recorder, December 9, 1858.

67 Ibid., July 14, 1859.

68 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, December 12, 1865.

69 Ibid., October 7, 1867.

70 Ibid., February 3, 1868.

71 Ibid., January 4, 1869.

72 Ibid.

73 Ibid., February 8, 1869.

74 Ibid., October 12, 1868.

75 Ibid.

76 Ibid., June 7, 1869.

77 Wilmington Star, March 17, 1870.

78 J. Marcus Kester, Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church, Wilmington,
North Carolina, (Wilmington, NC: First Baptist Church, 1933), 25.

243

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

179 Tony P. Wrenn, Wilmington, North Carolina: An Architectural and Historical
Portrait, 211.

80 Ibid.

81 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 3, 1872.

82 Ibid., September 2, 1872.

83 Ibid., March 2, 1874.

84 MA Huggins, A History of North Carolina Baptists, 1727-1932 (Raleigh, NC:
The General Board Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, 1967), 283.

85 Ibid., 268.

86 Ibid.

87 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, March 16, 1875.

88 Ibid., August 23, 1875

89 Ibid., January 2, 1876.

90 Ibid., January 6, 1879.
^Wilmington Star, May 10, 1881.

92 Ibid.

93 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 15, 1881.

94 Ibid., August 13, 1883.

95 G. A. Hendricks, Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Volume 2 (Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press, 1958), 1115.

96 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, December 11, 1884.

97 Ibid., April 12, 1886.

98 Ibid., October 3, 1886.

99 M.A. Huggins, A History of North Carolina Baptists, 310.

200 Ibid., April 7, 1890.

201 Wilmington Messenger, December 8, 1889.

202 Ibid., April 7, 1890.

203 Wilmington Messenger, December 8, 1889.

204 Ibid., March 7, 1892.

205 Ibid., June 6, 1892.

206 Ibid., October 26, 1906.

207 Ibid., October 9, 1892.

208 G. A. Hendricks, Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Volume 2, 1115.

209 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 21.

210 Ruby West, From Glory to Glory: A History of Temple Baptist Church, Durham,
North Carolina (Durham, NC: Temple Baptist Church, 1988), 101.

211 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, August 6, 1894.

212 Ibid., October 4, 1897

213 Ibid., May 2, 1898.

214 Ibid., September 5, 1898.

215 William H. Reaves, Strength Through Struggle: The Chronological and His-
torical Record of the African-American Community in Wilmington, North Car-
olina 1865-1950, (Wilmington, NC: New Hanover County Public Library, 1998),
248.

244

Endnotes

216 Ibid., 240.

217 Ibid., xiv.

218 David S. Cecelski & Timothy B. Tyson, Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington
Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Car-
olina Press, 1998), 16.

219 William H. Reaves, Strength Through Struggle, 249.

220 New York Herald, November 11, 1898.

221 Fayetteville Observer, November 10, 1898.

222 Ibid., November 11, 1898.

223 Raleigh News and Observer, November 13, 1898.

224 Ibid.

225 Ibid.

226 George Braxton Taylor, Virginia Baptist Ministers, (Lynchburg, Virginia: J. P.
Bell Company, Inc., 1912), 144.

227 Ibid., 146.

228 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, July 3, 1899.

229 Ibid., October 2, 1899.

230 Ibid.

231 Ibid., February 5, 1900.

232 Ibid., October 8, 1900.

233 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 8, 1903.

234 Ibid., March 9, 1903.

235 Ibid., July 13, 1903.

236 Ibid., March 13, 1907.

237 George Lasher, The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United
States of America, (Oxford: Ministerial Directory Company, 1899), 319.

238 Ibid.

239 Ibid.

240 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 13, 1904.

241 Ibid., October 10, 1904.

242 Ibid., January 17, 1906.

243 Ibid., December 11, 1905.

244 Ibid., May 2, 1906.

245 Ibid., March 13, 1907.

246 Ibid., December 9, 1907.

247 Ibid., February 8, 1909

248 Ibid., January 14, 1907.

249 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 23.

250 George Lasher, The Ministerial Directory of the Baptist Churches in the United
States of America, 320.

251 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 14, 1909.

252 Joshua Hill Foster, Sixty-four Years a Minister (Wilmington, NC: The First Bap-
tist Church, 1948), 69.

253 Ibid., 71.

245

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

254 Ibid.

255 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, April 30, 1911.

256 Joshua Hill Foster, Sixty-four Years a Minister, 72.

257 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 13, 1913.

258 Ibid.

259 J. Marcus Kester, Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church Wilmington,
North Carolina, 1808-1933 (Wilmington, NC: First Baptist Church, 1933), 4.

260 Ibid., July 14, 1913.

261 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, April 25, 1915.

262 Baptist Standard, September 23, 1970.

263 Minutes of the Wilmington Baptist Association Annual Meeting, 1948.

264 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, October 1, 1916.

265J. Marcus Kester, Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church Wilmington,
North Carolina, 1808-1933, 33.

266 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, August 8, 1920.

267 Ibid., February 8, 1922.

268 John Jeter Hurt, Anniversary Exercises of the First Baptist Church (Wilming-
ton, NC: First Baptist Church, July, 1 1922), 3.

269 Wilmington Star, October 8, 1923.

270 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, July 6, 1924.

271 Wilmington Star, September 1, 1924.

272 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 26.

273 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, September 19, 1928.

274 Biblical Recorder, January 3, 2004.

275 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 22, 1927.

276 Ibid., October 9, 1927.

277 Ibid., August 9, 1929.

278 Ibid., April 1,1930

279 Ibid., April 17, 1930.

280 Ibid., October 15, 1930.

281 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 27.

282 Ibid., April 4, 1934.

283 Dr. Bertram Williams, interview by author, Wilmington, N.C., March 10, 2004.

284 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 6, 1936.

285 Ibid., July 29, 1936.

286 Ibid., March 9, 1938.

287 Ibid., June 4., 1941.

288 Ibid., September 10, 1941.

289 Ibid., October 8, 1941.

290 Ibid.

291 Ibid.

292 Frances Chappell, interview by author, Wilmington, N.C., March 10, 2004.

293 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, February 4, 1942.

294 Ibid., October 7, 1942.

246

Endnotes

295 Ibid., January 4, 1944.

296 Dick Gough, interview by author, Wilmington, N.C., March 2, 2004.

297 Peggy George, interview by author, Wilmington, N.C., March 2, 2004.

298 Ibid.

299 Dr. Tom Head, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

300 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, October 4, 1943.

301 Ibid.

302 Ibid., October 4, 1944.

303 Ibid., May 9, 1945.

304 Ibid., September 30, 1945.

305 Ibid., April 12, 1946

306 Ruby West, From Glory to Glory— A History of Temple Baptist Church,
Durham, North Carolina, (Durham, NC: First Baptist Church, 1988), 111.

307 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 8, 1946.

308 Ibid., September 4, 1946.

309 Ibid., November 6, 1946.

310 Ibid., May 13, 1947.

311 Kingdom News, September 7, 1947.

312 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, September 24, 1950.

313 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 31.

314 Hilda Gregory, interview by author, Wilmington, N.C., March 10, 2004.

315 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, March 29, 1951.

316 Ibid., April 2, 1951.

317 Dr. Tom Head, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

318 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, October 9, 1951.

319 Ibid.

320 Ibid., January 7, 1952.

321 Dr. Tom Head, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

322 Sam Bissette, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

323 Carl Warwick, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

324 Barbara Guy, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

325 Ruth Clayton, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

326 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 4, 1954.

327 Ibid.

328 Ibid., March 14, 1955.

329 Ibid., May 3, 1951.

330 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 33.

331 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, July 23, 1956.

332 Ibid., September 25, 1957.

333 Ibid., February 4, 1957.

334 Ibid., August 5, 1957.

335 Charles English, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

336 Sally Brogden, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

337 Hilda Gregory, interview by author, April 8, 2004.

247

First Baptist Church, Wilmington, North Carolina

338 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 19, 1958.

339 Ibid., January 25, 1960.

340 Ibid. December 31, 1962.

341 Ibid., August 7, 1962.

342 Ibid., February 2, 1964.

343 Sam Bissette, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

344 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, April 15, 1964.

345 Ibid., June 20, 1965.

346 Dr. Bertram Williams, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

347 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, December 12, 1965.

348 Ibid., September 11, 1967.

349 Ibid., December 31, 1967.

350 Helen Dobson, Our Living Strength, 36.

351 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 23, 1968

352 Charles English, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

353 Dr. Bertram Williams, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

354 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, September 1, 1968.

355 Ibid., May 24, 1967.

356 Ibid., September 24, 1969.

357 Ibid., October 8, 1969.

358 Ibid.

359 Lois Johnson, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

360 Ann Brown, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

361 David S. Cecelski & Timothy B. Tyson, Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington
Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy, 3.

362 Frances Chappell, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

363 Rev. J.C. Thomas, interview by author, May 3, 2004.

364 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 26, 1972

365 Kingdom News, November 19, 1972.

366 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, April 4, 1973.

367 Ibid., April 25, 1973.
ses Ibid

369 Ibid., December 31, 1973.

370 Ibid., December 31, 1974.

371 Ibid., August 14, 1974.

372 Ibid., July 17, 1974.

373 Ibid., February 8, 1974.

374 Hebrews 12:28, New International Version of the Bible.

375 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, April 30, 1975.

376 Ibid., July 16, 1975.

377 Josephine Horton, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

378 Betty Murrell, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

379 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, February 23, 1984.

380 Ibid., May 28, 1975.

248

Endnotes

381 Ibid., September 21, 1975.

382 Ibid., September 29, 1976.

383 Ibid.

384 Ibid., November 21, 1976.

385 Ibid., July 31, 1977.

386 Kingdom News, October 9, 1977.

387 Carl Warwick, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

388 Kingdom News, June 4, 1978.

389 Ibid.

390 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 8, 1980.

391 Ibid., May 27, 1981.

392 Ibid., March 20, 1983.

393 Kingdom News, October 20, 1985.

394 Constitution and By-laws of the First Baptist Church, February 4, 2001.

395 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, May 13, 1985.

396 Ed Efird, interview by author, March 10, 2004.

397 Kingdom News, August 10, 1986.

398 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, November 9, 1986.

399 j)r Michael Queen, interview by author, March 12, 2004.

400 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, June 5, 1988.

401 Ibid., October 28, 1990.

402 Kingdom News, July 16, 1989.

403 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 21, 2001.

404 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, February 11, 1990.

405 Kingdom News, May 3, 1992.

406 Ibid., November 1, 1992.

407 Ibid., May 22, 1994.

408 Ibid., April 28, 1996.

409 Carlton Fisher, interview by author, March 15, 2004.

410 Morning Star, September 9, 1996.

411 Minutes of the First Baptist Church, January 12, 1997.

412 Ibid.

413 Ibid.

414 Ibid., January 20, 2000.

415 Ibid., February 12, 2001.

416 Wilmington Star News, July 18, 2005.

417David S. Cecelski & Timothy B. Tyson, Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington
Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy, xiv.

249

Index

A History of North Carolina
Baptists, 234, 240, 241,
243, 244

A History of Temple Baptist
Church, 235, 244, 247

Adkins, Dale, 163, 168

African Baptist Church, 40,
41

African-American Baptists,
88

African-American First
Baptist Church of Wilm-
ington, 197

Airlie Gardens, 172

Alderman, Alfred, 62, 64,
90, 93, 107, 130, 170

Alderman, J. W., 97

Alexander, M. 0., 109

Allen, F. T., 126

Allen, Norman, 142,144

Anabaptists, 21, 23

Andover Newton Theologi-
cal School, 129

Angel, Royce, 191

Anglican Church of Eng-
land, 21

Anglicans, 22

Anti-Saloon League, 106

Armstrong, Donna, 191

Armstrong, John, 31

Armstrong, Roy, 157, 158,
162, 167

Arnold, Claude, 203

Atkinson, Colonel J. W., 94

Austin, Kit, 174, 188, 195

Babson, Hyton, 199

Baggett, Armon E., 140

Baggett, Miriam, 171, 174

Baldwin, A. M., 126

Baldwin, J. L., 126, 136

Baldwin, Jack, 137

Baltimore Baptist Conven-
tion, 62

Banks, W. H., 40
Baptist Children's Homes

of North Carolina, 92
Baptist Church of Danville,

59
Baptist Church of

Williamsburg, 76
Baptist Conference Center,

16
Baptist Counseling Center,

190
Baptist Encyclopedia, 233,

241, 243
Baptist Foreign Mission

Board, 101, 145
Baptist Hill, 13, 29, 34, 36,

56,61,76,84,114,115
Baptist House of Studies,

185
Baptist House of Worship,

13,14
Baptist Joint Committee,

183
Baptist Meeting House, 28-

30,38,39,77,115,211
Baptist Standard, 235, 246
Baptist State Convention of

North Carolina, 29, 30, 46,

234, 240, 241, 243, 244
Baptist Theological Semi-
nary, 95, 103, 111, 112,

114, 129, 135, 168, 170,

183, 202

Baptist World Alliance, 127
Barnes, Joseph K., 234, 243
Barnett, John, 24
Battle, Amos Johnston, 38,

39, 47, 56, 231
Batts, A. L., 140

Baylor University, 111
Beam, Paul, 142, 145
Beck, Richard 152
Bellamy Mansion, 158, 193
Benedict, David, 25
Berry, C. G., 142
Bessie Tift College, 111,

221, 222
Biggs, Kenneth, 143, 158,

155

Binkley, Olin T, 129
Bissette, Sam, 142, 143,

150, 158, 174, 178, 195,

199, 237, 247, 248
Black River, 26, 28
Blackwell, Dr. Calvin S., 97,

100, 232
Blake, Bert,192
Blanton, Dr. Sankey, 126,

129, 128, 225, 232
Blue Clay Road, 199
Bob Jones University, 168
Boney, Charles, 153
Boney, Leslie, 131, 135
Bradlee, Frances B. C, 233,

243

Brady, R. H., 126
Bremer, John M., 77
Brickhouse, Nathan E., 29
Brickhouse, R. E., 64
Briggs, Arnold, 155, 166,

177

Brisson, David, 190
Bristol Baptist Academy, 31
Broadway Baptist Church,

91,92
Brogden, Leon, 142, 158,

174, 192
Brogden, Sally, 147, 149,

237, 248
Brooks, Alice, 102, 103

250

Index

Brooks, Bill, 201
Brooks, Jeff, 190
Broughton Hospital, 66
Brown, Ann, 142, 157, 178,

237, 248

Brown, Gene, 158
Bryan, James J., 29, 33, 37-

38,56

Bryan, Jonathan, 27, 231
Bullard, Eugene 145
Buntt, Elizabeth D., 101
Burgwin, Harry, 40
Burkitt, Elder Lemuel, 25
Burrell, Vicky, 192
Burton, Dr. Arthur J., 128
Butler, James H., 132
Butler, Lucille, 137
BYPU, 118
Calvary Baptist Church, 93,

129

Cambridge University, 21
Cameron, Bruce, 131, 149,

150

Campbell College, 134
Campbell University, 196
Cape Fear Association, 26-

28,31,32

Cape Fear Baptist Associa-
tion, 24-27, 42, 236, 239,

240
Cape Fear Baptist Church,

Cape Fear Community Col-
lege, 18
Carr, E. H., 12
Carter, Lin, 196
Cathcart, William, 241, 243
Catherine Kennedy Home,

181

Cauthen, Baker James, 148
CBF of North Carolina, 19
CBF, 19
Cecelski, David S., 233,

245, 248, 250
Chambers, John, 137
Chambliss, A. W., 32, 33,

231
Chappell, Frances, 158,

159, 237, 247, 249

Charles-Craft, Ann, 183
Charleston Baptist Associa-
tion, 23

Charleston Baptist Church,
23

Chasten, Cannie, 94, 108
Cherry, Harry, 192
Chestnut Street Presbyte-
rian Church, 64
Childs, Emma, 142
Chowan Association, 67,
213

Chowan College, 39
Churchill, Colon, 166
Citadel Square Baptist
Church of Charleston, 83
Clayton, John, 143, 158,
181

Clayton, Ruth, 142, 237,
248

Cockerham, Mike, 195
Coker, Warren, 150, 155
Collins, Dennis, 30, 32
Collins, J. W, 94
Collins, James W, 80
Columbian College, 76
Combs, Mary Frances, 137
Conner, Fred 192
Conolley, John J., 64
Cooledge, Harold N., 242
Cooperative Baptist Fellow-
ship of North Carolina, 204
Cooperative Baptist Fellow-
ship, 19, 185, 204
Corbett, Bitsy, 155, 171
Corbett, Waddell, 142, 144,
149, 153, 155, 158, 162,
166, 190

Corpening, J., 178
Costin, R, 30, 32
Cowan, Thomas, 28
Cox, Bobby, 195
Cracker, Dr. Andy, 201
Craig, Dr. W.Marshall, 111,
118,232

Craig, William M., 110
Criser, David, 195
Crozer Theological Semi-
nary, 135, 139

D. DuPre, 50

Dancy, John Campbell, 98

Danville Baptist Church,

57,59

Darter, Oscar H., 239
Davis, Bud, 157, 158, 174,

188, 195
Davis, Jack, 142, 160-162,

166, 167, 188, 199
Davis, Jayne Hugo, 183,

196, 203, 208
Davis, Ted, 142, 158, 190
Delgado Mission, 110
DeVane Conference Center,

209

DeVane, Vernell, 208
Dickson, Dr. James, 75
Divine, Augusta Elizabeth,

107
Divine, Captain John F,

107

Dobson, D. L., 126, 136
Dobson, Helen, 131, 137,

142, 145, 150, 155, 158,

160, 161, 171, 174, 177,

192, 242-244, 246-248
Domestic Violence Center,

15, 187

Donnell, William, 29
Doss, Calvin, 158, 174
Drake University, 100
Duguid, Mary, 135
Duke University, 185
DuPre, Daniel, 53, 54
Eagles, Edward, 40
Eastern Baptist Associa-
tion, 236
Ebenezer Baptist Church,

40
Echols, Hilda Cameron,

172, 173

Edwards, E. J., 104
Edwards, Josie, 192
Edwards, Morgan, 24, 239
Efird, Ed, 173, 174, 177,

237, 249
Efird, Hazel, 147
Elliott, Brock, R., 145
Elliott, Curtis, 192

251

History, Heritage, and Memories

Ellis, Charles Denison, 50-

52, 54, 56-57, 61, 62, 64,

65, 73-74, 78, 130, 170
Emory University, 9
Emurian, Henri, 121, 133,

134, 141, 142, 177
English, Charles, 154, 158,

248

English, Charlie, 147, 237
English, Sally, 158
Episcopal Church of North

Carolina, 25
Evangelical Lutheran

Church, 63
Evans, Richard, 239
Everette, Jim, 3. 187, 196,

202, 203
Everhard, Governor

Richard, 24
Everitt, John, 27
Everitt, Rueben, 26, 231
Everts, L. H., 233, 241, 243
Fales, Dr. Alton, 160
Fales, Dr. Robert, 149, 158,

172

Fales, Robert Martin , 242
Fallis, Don, 193
Finch, Charles Curtis, 160
Findley, W. J., 32, 231
First Baptist Church of

Charleston, 23
First Baptist Church of

Fayetteville, 42
First Baptist Church of

Greenville, 88
First Baptist Church of

Jackson, 113, 114
First Baptist Church of Pe-
tersburg, 92
First Baptist Church of

Raleigh, 39, 66
First Baptist Church of

Richmond, 140
First Baptist Church of

Winston-Salem, 114
First Baptist Missionary

Church, 14

First Baptist of Wilming-
ton, 97

First Presbyterian Church,

64, 66, 99, 195
Fisher, Carlton, 188, 193,

203, 237, 250
Fisher, Herbert, 143, 158,

174

Fisher, Louise, 158
Fisher, Onree, 181
Fisher, Sylvia, 160
Fitzgerald, Jim, 174, 199
Folly Baptist Church, 24
Foreign Mission Board,

101, 124, 125, 145, 148,

190
Foster, Dr. J. H., 107, 111,

112, 127, 128, 137, 219-

222, 232-233, 246
Foster, lone, 154
Fox, R. L., 135
Franklin Baptist, 139
Franklin Square Baptist

Church, 92
Fredericksburg Baptist

Church, 13, 64, 65, 233,

239

Fredericksburg Church, 64
Freeman, J. D., 131, 160
Freeman, Jere, 143, 153
French, Asa P., 115
French, George R., 29, 33,

34, 42, 47, 52, 53, 57, 64,

84,86,89,93,94,115
French, James McDaniel, 86
French, Job B., 115
French, Stephen A., 115
French, William A., 78, 80,-

81, 88, 90, 93, 105
Front Street Baptist

Church, 33, 39, 44-45, 52,

57, 61, 64
Fussell, Helen, 208
Futrelle, Ella Belle, 125
Garrett, Garland, 161, 162,

174, 233, 239
Gaston Avenue Baptist

Church, 111
General Board Baptist State

Convention of North Car-
olina, 240, 243, 244

General Sherman, 77
George, Lucius, 133
George, Peggy, 133, 237,

247
Gibson Avenue Baptist

Church, 102
Girls In Action, 122
Godwin, Rose, 112
Good Shepherd Ministries,

15, 187, 200
Gore, L.F., 109, 112, 131,

136, 140
Goshen Baptist Association,

29, 30, 32, 37, 38, 45, 236,

240

Gospel Rescue Mission, 15
Gough, Dick, 132, 237, 247
Grace United Methodist

Church, 96
Greenfield Baptist Church,

190
Gregory, Hilda, 148, 157,

158, 237, 247, 248
Gregory, Randolph, 120,

139, 161, 163-165, 176,

227, 229, 232

Grigg, Jacob C, 30-31, 231
Guy, Barbara, 142, 237, 248
Hale, Dr. Fred, 103, 107,

232

Hall, S. G , 102
Hallett, B. A., 61, 62, 64
Ham, M. J., 105
Hamlet, Mark, 207
Hanby, H. A., 126, 140
Hanby, Howard, 131, 138,

140

Hanby, lone, 155
Hanby, J. R., 126
Hanby, John, 84, 101,103,

106,111,219,220
Hanby, Joseph, 111
Hanby, Mary, 125, 129
Harrelson, Bobby, 203
Harrelson, Jo Ann, 203
Harris, Gary, 192, 197
Harvard University, 129
Hasty, Jack, 148
Hatch, Fred, 160

252

Index

Hawbluff Baptist, 26
Hawkins, E. L., 105
Head, Dr. Tom, 134, 140,

237, 247

Head, Lila, 125, 129, 133
Hearst, Patty, 166
Hedquist, Percy, 158, 160,
174, 199

Helwys, Thomas, 21, 22
Hendricks, G. A., 244
Heritage Society, 3, 4, 235,

238, 239

Hertford Baptist Church, 92

Hiden, J. C, 82, 88, 232

Higgins, Elmer, 174

Highland Baptist Church,
135, 177

Hilburn, Faye, 177

Hinton, Bill 199

Hinton, Mary B., 59

Hoge, Peyton H., 99

Holliday, Ransom, 142

Home Mission Board, 48,
189

Hopewell, Dr. James F., 9

Horton, Gilliam, 160, 162,
166, 176, 229

Horton, Josephine, 237,
249

Howard Payne College, 111

Hufham, J. D., 58, 73, 241-
243

Huggins, L. B., 64, 80, 107

Huggins, M. A., 75, 240,
241, 243, 244

Hunt, Jason, 29

Hunter, Ezekiel, 24

Hurt, John Jeter, 112, 120,
232, 246

Hyde, T. E., 28, 240

Immanuel Presbyterian
Church, 96

Interfaith Hospitality Net-
work, 15, 187

International Baptist Semi-
nary, 190

Jackson, Jimmy, 178

Jennett, Jesse, 44

Jo Ann Carter Harrelson

Center, 48, 146, 203, 207
Johnson, Charlotte, 196
Johnson, Guin Griffis, 242,

243

Johnson, Lois, 237, 248
Johnson, Tommy, 157, 158
Jones, Chester, 142, 156,

158, 166, 174, 201
Jones, Sidney, 148
Jordan, W. H., 55, 232
Josey, Edwin B., 126, 137
Juvenile Missionary Soci-
ety, 53

Keith, Mary, 188
Kennedy, Bob, 160, 166,

201
Kennedy, Janet, 160, 163,

167

Kerr, John, 59
Kester, J. Marcus, 114, 120,

124, 128, 224, 225, 232,

240, 244, 246
Kierner, Cynthia A., 241
King, J., 29, 32
King, Nettie, 108, 110
Kolk, Ernest, 125
Lake Forest Baptist

Church, 132, 137
Lane, Marie, 178
Larkins, John, 25-27, 231
Larkins, William, 61, 64,

79, 81, 87, 90, 93
Lasher, George , 245,-246
Lathrop, Bessie Ruth, 126
Lathrop, Mary, 192
Lawther, Thomas, 143
Laymon, Allen, 168, 175,

176, 232

Laymon, Rebecca, 171
Leftwich, George E., 101, 106
LeGwin, Robert, 130
Lennon, W. B., 142
Lewis, Jeff, 177, 180-182,

187, 190, 191
Limestone Meeting House,

Lineberger, Barbara, 152
Lisbon Meeting House, 30
Long, Chad, 208

Longhorne, Norvelle, 143
Lopatka, Tony, 174
Lower Cape Fear Historical

Society, 242
Lynchburg Baptist Church,

57,59
Maddry, Charles A., 135,

232

Manley, Alexander, 98
Manning, E. W., 86
Maready, Kenan, 158, 169,

173, 174, 178, 189
Marshall, D. C, 126, 143
Marshall, H. C, 111
Martin, John, 184
McClellan, Glenn J., 173
McDaniel, James, 29, 30,

34, 35, 37, 41, 45, 48, 49,

52-55, 63, 86, 232
McDowell, John, 23
McEachern, Dr. Alton, 178
McEachern, Neil, 219
McEachern, W. H., 126
Mcllheny, John K., 28
McKinney Avenue Baptist,

106
McRae, Hugh, 150
McWatty, J. E., 150
Memphis State University,

170

Mercer, Armistead, 125
Mercy House, 15, 187
Meredith College, 134
Meredith, Thomas, 59
Methodist Episcopal

Church, 44
Middleton, J. G., 131, 140,

227

Miley, Rick, 206
Miller, Dick, 168
Miller, Dickie, 160, 162
Mills, John Henry, 92
Milton, Dr. William H., 128
Mincey, Vicki, 191
Mission Board, 48, 101,

124, 125, 145, 148, 189,

190
Missionary Baptist Church,

253

History, Heritage, and Memories

Missionary Society, 53, 91,
93,101,130,215

Missionary Union, 121,
125, 138, 142

Mitchell, Benjamin, 52, 33,
52, 5-56-57, 61, 62, 64, 65,
76, 78-81, 89, 90, 93, 96-
97, 107, 130, 170, 218

Mitchell, Charlie, 220

Moody Bible Institute, 109

Moody, Dwight L., 96

Moore, Dan , 191

Moore, Polly, 45, 56

Moore's Creek Baptist
Church, 24

Moore's Creek Meeting
House, 25

Mt. Holly Baptist Church,
42

Murrayville Baptist
Church, 154

Murrayville Baptist Mis-
sion, 154

Murrell, Betty, 167, 237, 249

Muse, W.B., 112

Nahungo Meeting House,
27

Nance, Ruth, 142

Harris, Nehemiah, 28

Neilson, John A., 125

Nelson, Janet, 191

New Light Baptists, 24

New Orleans Baptist Theo-
logical Seminary, 114

New River Meeting House,
26

Newton Theological Semi-
nary, 124

Noffsinger, Hugh, 140, 158

Norman, Mickie, 204

North Brunswick Fellow-
ship Church, 204

North Carolina Baptist As-
sembly, 141

North Carolina Baptist
Hospital, 190

North Carolina Baptist
State Convention, 19, 125,
234, 241

North Carolina State Uni-
versity, 96

North Wilmington Com-
munity Church, 198

Northside Baptist Church,
154

Norton, W. W., 233, 239

Oakdale Cemetery, 37, 52,
60, 73, 124, 128

Old Ladies Home, 93, 97,
103

Oldham, W. P., 101

Oliver, Dr. William Ben-
jamin, 96, 232

Orange Street Baptist
Church, 44, 45, 57, 77

Orange Street Church, 44,
78

Orrell, J. A., 126, 136

Oxenfeld, John, 163

Palmer, N. J., 59

Palmer, Paul, 24

Park Place Methodist
Church, 141

Park Road Baptist Church,
175

Parker, Bob, 174, 179, 181,
189, 195

Parker, John A., 61

Parker, John, 64, 65

Parker, Morris, 29

Parker, Thomas, 40

Parks, Margaret, 137, 139

Parton, Dolly, 185

Penton, Dan, 111, 126, 130,
143, 220

Penton, Daniel H., 226

Peterson, Isham, 29, 33, 45,
47

Peterson, WC. 110,111,
126

Phillips, Johnny, 169, 176,
187

Pickard, Nellie, 126, 142

Picket, John 27

Poole, William E„ 29

Porter, Lee, 174

Porterfield, Eric , 185

Powell, Mary Hester, 145

Powell, Morris, 158, 162,

163, 192

Powell, Nathaniel, 24
Powers, Dr. O. L., 139, 232
Presley, Elvis, 185
Prichard, Jane Taylor, 73
Prichard, Jemmie, 60, 61,

72-73
Prichard, John Lamb, 13,

37, 45, 52, 56, 54, 57-59,
61, 61, 65, 64, 67, 69, 72-
75, 79, 92, 128, 214, 213,
232, 234, 241-243

Prichard, Mary Hinton, 59

Pridgen, Naomi, 178

Pridgen, O. K., 137, 143,
156

Pritchard, Dr. Thomas H.,
83, 91-2, 94-95, 232

Pritchard, Eliza, 92

Pritchard, Thomas Hender-
son, 92, 232

Providence Baptist Church,
190

Queen, Dr. Michael, 178-
182, 186, 191,193-194,
196, 198, 201, 207, 232,
237, 249

Rafter, Douglas, 144, 145

Raleigh Baptist Church, 39

Ramsey, E. H., 64

Ray, Ellen, 134

Reagan, Bernice Johnson,
210

Reaves, William H., 245

Repiton, Alphonse Paul, 37,

38, 41-42, 45, 57, 75, 77,
80, 231, 232

Repiton, Sallie, 80
Reynolds, Kelly, 196, 199
River Road Baptist Church,
145

Roberson, Charles, 40
Roe, J. C. 131
Rogers, Dena, 196
Rogers, Kenny, 185
Rooks, M. L., 140
Rosborough, Jon, 191
Ross, Walter, 150

254

Index

Rushing, Sandy, 189, 192
Russ, Margaret, 131
Ryals, 153, Granville, 158
Sabbath School of Front

Street Baptist Church, 61
Sabbath School of Orange

Street Baptist Church, 44
Saint James Episcopal

Church, 128
Saint Thomas Catholic

Church, 158

Sandy Creek Baptist Associ-
ation, 24-25
Saunders, William L., 235,

239

SBC, 19
Screven, Reverend William,

Seale, Mike, 152
Sellers, Simo, 26, 231
Semple, Robert, 31, 235,

240

Shaw, Bynum 239
Shepard, Sara, 51
Shiloh Baptist Church, 24,

Shurden, Walter, 239
Sidbury House, 152, 153,

169, 173, 193
Sidbury, Dr. Buren, 146,

151, 173

Slinger, M. E., 138
Sloan, Samuel, 12, 37, 64-

66, 75, 93, 233, 242
Smith, Dr. Jimmy, 157,

158, 173, 192, 199, 204,

208
Smith, Dr. W. T. , 126, 136,

140, 141, 226
Smith, Helen, 130
Smith, James A., 205
Smith, John, 174, 182, 192
Smith, Kenny, 195
Smith, Mollie, 137, 142, 158
Smith, Sandy, 201
Smith, W.T., 11, 126, 136,

140, 141, 226
Smyth, John, 21
Smyth, Peter, 25-27, 231

Sneeden, Jack, 153, 156,
158, 162, 176

Southeastern Baptist Theo-
logical Seminary, 111,
129, 183

Southeastern Seminary,
178

Southern Baptist Conven-
tion, 19, 48, 53, 62, 97,

111, 114, 124, 148, 181,
183-185, 190, 197

Southern Baptist Coopera-
tive Program, 134

Southern Baptist Foreign
Mission Board, 145

Southern Baptist Home
Mission Society, 82

Southern Baptist Sunday
School, 157

Southern Baptist Theologi-
cal Seminary, 95, 103,

112, 129, 135
Southern Seminary, 191
Southside Baptist, 96, 103,

139, 156

Southwestern Baptist The-
ological Seminary, 168,
170

Springs, John D. M., 29

Springs, John S., 28

Springs, Mary Gasper, 28-
29

St. James Episcopal Parish,
44

St. James Overnight Shel-
ter, 15, 187

St. Luke AME Zion Church,
99

St. Matthew Lutheran, 96

Stark, Keith, 193

Stevens, John, 130, 131,
142, 149, 160

Stevenson, J. C, 94, 95

Stevenson, J. M., 64, 65

Stike, Betty, 158, 166, 171,
174

Stike, Dr. John, 160, 167,
188

Stokley, James, 64

Stolter, John R, 77
64, 77, 78, 95, 96
Sunofsky,B.V., 126, 131
Sutton, Joe, 174, 178, 181,

196, 197

Swails, James, 142, 154
Tabb, S. B., 126, 136
Taylor, Dr. Charles E., 74
Taylor, George Braxton 245
Taylor, James B., 59, 88, 91,

232, 240
Taylor, James, 60, 79, 216,

217

Taylor, Jane, 59, 73
Taylor, John A., 10
Taylor, Joseph, 90
Temple Baptist Church,

106, 113, 128, 138, 139,

235, 244, 247
The Rock Church, 200
Third Baptist Church, 103
Thomas, J. C, 158, 160,

249

Todd, Leon, 143
Trask, C. Heide, 131
Trexler, Daryl, 208
Trice, Berry, 193, 203, 204
Trinity Baptist Church,

160, 183
Trinity Methodist Church,

Troutman, Jeannie, 196
Troutman, Jeff, 195
Tryon Street Baptist

Church, 95

Tryon, General William, 25
Turner, James, 24
Turner, Louise, 145 «

Tyson, , Timothy B., 233,

245, 248, 250
Union Baptist Association,

Union Theological Semi-
nary, 175

Union University, 114
University of North Car-
olina, 18, 19, 95, 135, 233,

234, 243, 245, 248,
University of Richmond,

255

History, Heritage, and Memories

38, 112

Upper Bridge Church, 31
Upton, Beth, 188
Vann, J. D , 126, 136
Vestal, Dr. Daniel, 185
Vigus, Don, 170, 171,192
Virginia Military Institute,

139

Vollers, L. H, 113
Von Glahn House, 173, 174
W.M.U., 110
Wachtel, Jean, 191
Wachtel, Kurt, 191,206
Wade, Jimmy, 160
Wait, Samuel, 59
Wake Forest College, 38,

47, 55, 58, 60, 74, 92, 95,

96, 104, 134, 135, 137
Wake Forest University,

137, 178, 185, 197
Walker, James, 64, 127
Walker, Marsh, 40
Wallace, Dr. Mac, 190
Warren, Pat, 158, 201
Warwick, Carl,142, 147,

170, 237, 248, 249
Warwick, J. F., 126
Warwick, Olivia, 147
Warwick, Yates, 142, 158
Washington Street United

Methodist Church, 155
Waughtown Baptist

Church, 138
Wease, Hugh, 239
Weeks, Sarah Caroline, 35
Wells, Harold W., 153
West, Ruby, 244, 247
West, Wallace, 136, 142,

158, 170, 173, 190
Westbrook, Samuel, 29
Whitfield, Lewis, 31
Whitney, W. A., 131, 143
Wilcox, D.H., 112, 114, 232
William H. Whitsitt Baptist

Heritage Society, 238, 239
Williams, Dr. Bertram, 127,

143, 148, 151, 153, 154,

158, 193, 195, 204, 237,

247, 248

Williams, Emma, 143
Williams, Lonnie, 193, 199
Williams, R. L., 140
Williams, Robert 131, 158
Williams, Roger, 22
Wilmington Baptist Associ-
ation, 15, 19, 104-106,
111,126,132,134,164,
169, 181, 190, 236, 246
Wilson, James B., 160, 162,
166
Wind, Dr. James, 9, 239
Winkler, Dr. E. T., 83
Winter Park Baptist
Church, 110, 185
Winter Park Garden, 110
WMU, 121, 150, 171
Wofford College, 185
Wofford, Amos, 140, 192
Wooster Street Chapel, 96
Woody, Ed. G., 101
Wooster Street Baptist
Church, 96

Wrenn, Tony P., 235, 240,
243, 244

Wrightsboro Baptist
Church, 198
Yahweh Center, 15, 187
Yale University, 129, 135
Yopp, A. H., 103, 169
Young, William H., 232
Young, William M., 75, 76,
21

Youngblood, R. H., 134
Zitney, Laurel, 197

256

A Heritage of Hope

A History of First Baptist Church
Wilmington, North Carolina

1808-2008

"ow challenging it is that on certain occa-
sions we are reminded of our integral
part in so vast a program as the promulgation
of Christ's kingdom here on earth; how hum-
ble we feel in the face of the heritage that is
ours; how determined we become at that mo-
ment to fulfill in every way possible our little
part of the whole. We are a part of the con-
tinuous outpouring of the Holy Spirit which
has marked the life of this church since its in-
ception. We have been blessed to be a people
who by dependence on Divine leadership have
moved through the course of time (two hun-
dred years) fraught with vicissitudes of for-
tune to this present hour. May we catch by (
this general regime of the church's history
something of that same spirit inculcated so
strongly in our forefathers (and foremothers),
that we, like them, may preserve and pass to
our followers this, our sacred trust.

-Helen Dobson

:'UV'U-.

About the Author

im Everette has served as Associate Pastor of First Baptist
J Church of Wilmington, North Carolina, for the past 18
years. He is a graduate of Pembroke State University (B.A.,
1981), Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (M. Div.,
1984), and Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (D.
Min., 2004). Jim is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina
where he met his wife of twenty-five years, Lisa. They are the
proud parents of Jonathan and Megan.

mmm.

ISBN: 17A-l-57AM3-053-b
52995

9 781578"430536"

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